Some Wounds don't Heal
by Andromeda2903
Summary: When Hanataro is cornered and raped coming home after a late shift one night, his unlikely savior may turn out to be more than meets the eye. Rated M for rape scenes, Yaoi also. Update: Mpreg in later chapters
1. Wish for Death

**Hey All, It starts off pretty rough, and it's got a bit of a dark side, but I hope you like it. **

**P.S. if you find any mistakes at all, feel free to let me know. **

Tears ran down Hanataro's cheeks as he whimpered and wished for the tortures to end. He could feel the blood leaking down his thighs, the bruises forming on his hips beneath the harsh, rough hands that held him. The third man to so far be buried to the hilt in Hanataro's backside let out a moan as he came, seed running down with the blood along the boy's legs. As the man pulled out, he heard the others laughing and more hands reached out to hold him down as another set to take his turn. Once again the slender and beaten form wretched from side to side trying to throw the men off, but they were bigger, stronger and more determined.

"hush now ya little fuck," the one positioned behind the healer cooed with false reassurance, stroking the black hair that stuck with sweat to Hanataro's forehead. "You know you like it, whore." He grabbed Hana's neck and a soft cry escaped the seventh seat's lips as he braced himself for more pain to shoot through his body.

When the pain didn't come, he felt more than heard the scabbard of a blade being drawn as he was released by his captors and fell to the ground. His entire body throbbed with unfathomable agony as he tried to raise his head, to scream, to run, but was unable to move. The darkness around him seemed to grow thicker as the world swung out from under him and blurred. The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was the single word of a release. He didn't know if it was friend or foe, but his mind played it loudly as he sank into the dark, fearing the worst.

As Hanataro regained awareness of his body, the first thing he noticed was the pain. His entire body ached to the core. After all the sexual abuse those brutes from the eleventh squad had made him endure, he was lucky to be alive. He wondered vaguely how he had not bled out entirely in the alley outside their squad's barracks, but the thought was interrupted as he began to notice a second thing. He was warm.

Carefully and slowly he opened his tear-strained red eyes and blinked into the morning light. He was wrapped comfortably in a large yukata beneath a soft comforter on a bed in a strange apartment. He sat up and looked around. The place was clean enough, though untidy and lived in. He could see a small kitchenette area and a sitting area with a low table and cushions instead of chairs or mats. Off to one side of the room was a basin where it seemed someone had washed his stained uniform which was hung to dry on a rack by the wall.

Hana blinked several times, taking it all in before an alluring aroma turned his head and he finally noticed that someone had laid out tea and some soup and sandwiches on a tray by the bed. He eagerly started in on them, realizing then that he hadn't eaten anything since the morning before. He had been heading home for dinner when... He stopped the thought before it could be completed. Just thinking about it made him ache again.

As he was finishing up the tea and wondering what to do next, panic struck him when heavy footfalls sounded outside the door. Images of the night before rushed through his mind and as the door opened he contemplated feigning sleep to deter another attack. Not being quick enough to act on the instinct, he could only stare as whoever it was entered the room. The scowl of dark eyes and a shine of polished scalp were the first things the small healer saw, and he remained unsure of whether this was good or bad.

"Madarame-San?" he squeaked. His voice was hoarse from screaming last night and sounded even weaker than usual. The third seat turned his attention to the big blue eyes shining nervously up from his bed, and gave a half grin, which only seemed to make the boy slink further down into the blanket.

"Yer awake! And ya ate too, I see. Good. Need ta get yer strength back up." The muscled man put down the bundle he'd been carrying, shifting his zanpacto to a stand by the door in the process. Hanataro stared on in wonder as the other took the basin he'd brought in, filled with water, and brought it over beside the bed for the slighter man, along with soap and a clean cloth.

"Thought ya might wana clean up a bit." he went back to the table and took another item he'd brought in and carried it over to the healer as well.

"Might be more comfortable in this," he explained, handing Hana the yukata. "'T's one 'o Yumichika's, 'cause mine are all too big for ya." The smaller man looked on with a stunned silence as Ikkaku felt the drying uniform on the rack and mumbled something, the only word of which Hanataro understood was 'damp.' He then picked up the large basin filled with dirty water, which Hana could have easily bathed in, and lugged it with little difficulty out the door.

The healer sat in silence for a moment, listening to the heavy steps fade, then, when they didn't return immediately, he began to take inventory for the first time of his injuries. He let the large garment slide off his shoulders and pool around his waist as he felt the bruises rising up from his neck all the way down his torso to his hips. They were painful, black and turning green and yellow, but they had definitely been tended by someone with a basic healing skill. The same could be said for the cuts and scrapes, which had also gotten treated with some sort of salve. He moved lower, wincing as he did, then noticed that he was naked under the yukata and blushed feverishly at the thought of Ikkaku and whoever had healed him seeing him naked. Still, he was glad that he hadn't been taken back to the fourth division. He knew that he was the victim in this, but somehow, he felt ashamed. He felt as if it was his fault; that he had somehow asked for it, walking through the eleventh that late at night. If he had been taken back to the fourth, all his friends and colleagues would know. He didn't want anyone to know.

He had gotten cleaned up in the fresh water and dressed in the flowery yukata that even coming from Yumichika was too big, and was just running his fingers through his hair to flatten it a bit when Ikkaku came back. This time he knocked, though he didn't wait for an answer.

"Hana? You decent?" he asked, poking his head in the doorway just the same. Hanataro tried not to look terrified of the big man and nodded.

"Uh, huh" He squeaked back, not managing full words. The third seat had always frightened him. The eleventh squad were known to be brutes, and of them Ikkaku was bested only by Zaraki, who only didn't frighten Hana quite as much because of Yachiru. The pink-haired girl loved Hanataro, and so Zaraki was usually at least civil and at most uninterested toward the small man. His experiences with Ikkaku on the other hand left a fearful impression on the slighter shinigami. The man had, in the past, even thrown things at the healer's head from the confines of a hospital bed. He was an angry man who hated being in the fourth division's barracks and always gave everyone trouble when he was there, which was often. He also had a habit of sending others there, often in pieces, and often subordinates from his own squad. Even when he had seen the fighter outside his own division's walls the man always seemed to have a scowl on his face and be yelling at someone or other, his katana slung threateningly over his shoulder. To see him now, without his Zanpakto, a half grin on his face, preparing tea at his kitchenette while Hana sat silently on the bed watching, you would think this was a different man entirely.

"How ya feelin' this mornin' then?" The bald man asked, sitting down on a cushion, then shaking his head and answering himself. "What am I sayin'? of course ya feel rotten. Those sons o' bitches nearly ripped ya in two…" he lowered his head for a moment, and then met the other's eyes again. "Look, Hana, I know the guys who done this to ya were in my division, an' I'm sorry 'bout what happened. They aughta know better than this. If ya want to have them brought up officially on charges, I'll be glad to put the paperwork through myself, but for now I put them to my own form of justice, and believe me, they're being punished but good." His face was nearly free of his ever-present scowl, and he seemed sincere, but all the seventh seat could do was stare. When he realized this, of course, his blue eyes dropped to his hands sitting gently in his lap.

The kettle whistled and Hana was grateful. He needed to think. Ikkaku rose and finished making the tea, setting a cup down in front of the smaller man, who for the second time that morning burnt his tongue hastily drinking the hot liquid. Ikkaku watched as the other gulped down the tea and avoided eye contact, saddened by how uncomfortable the boy obviously felt, though he was at least trying to mask it. Normally he would have had no problem with being avoided or even feared by the lower ranking officers of the seretai; that went for any division. But seeing as the healer most likely saw him as the head asshole of the gang of assholes who did this to him, the clench in his gut was probably warranted. It had been a long time since he'd had to deal with someone recovering from rape, but he knew that it wouldn't be easy. It would be hard for Hanataro to trust people again, and he hadn't been so close to Ikkaku in the first place.

"So, I should go check on some things." Ikkaku broke the tension, getting to his feet. "You just stay here an' rest, and when I come back I can walk ya back to yer division if ya want, alright?" Hanataro nodded without looking up at the full height fighter, still sipping slowly on his tea. The bald man nodded to himself as he gathered his Zanpakto and left. It wasn't going to be easy.

**Hope you liked the first part. Things will not be so devastating from here on, and be warned I do have a bit of a different take on Ikkaku.**

**~Andromeda**


	2. Unwarranted Shame

**Hey Interwebbers!**

**Here is the next part. I hesitate to call them chapters, but I suppose that's what they are. It starts off with some pain, but it's not too bad. Enjoy.**

The world was dark. Hanataro couldn't see a thing in the black. Thick nothing was all there was. Nothing but pain. His body ached, sore from the beating he had taken, and as he remembered it, it became real again. He couldn't see them, the dark was so absolute, but he could hear them, and by kami could he feel them. He could feel the hotness of their breath on his skin, the rough, forceful grabs from their hands in his hair. He could feel them pulling his clothes off, could feel as they touched and groped him, his neck, his arms, his chest, waist, thighs… Red searing pain shot through him as he felt a stabbing heat all over and screamed in agony. The sharp tear of fresh wounds being wrought once again inside his body was as real as it had been then and as he relived the memory, the pain became worse. He pleaded, begged, as he had done that night, but they would not stop, would not end it, and so he cried and waited die, or to once again be saved.

Memory and reality mixed to become the semi-dark of night in bed and the pain faded to the dull ache it had been by the afternoon. Hana felt the tears streaming down his cheeks, but ignored them and the sobbing coming from his own gasping breaths. His confused mind refused to calm, and his pulse was rapid. He closed his eyes, not having recognized where he was, and found that he was clutching desperately to a pair of strong but gentle arms which were wrapped around his slender frame. A soft, familiar voice in his ear spoke reassuring words as he was rocked gently. It was the voice from that night; the one with the sword. He focused on the voice and the safety he felt within these arms and calmed himself enough to let go his death grip. He turned on the bed to see the owner of the voice and was greeted by a sleepy-looking Ikkaku. Of course, he thought, Ikkaku had saved him. The man simply smiled at Hanataro, and lay back down to sleep, pulling the other in close.

"There now; Yer safe, I promise. Ain't no one gonna get ya while I'm here. Go back to sleep now." Hana stiffened at first - this was Ikkaku Madarame after all. He had never thought of the man as being a comforting presence. In fact, he had always seemed quite the opposite. Still, Hanataro thought, the man had saved him and had seemed sincere earlier. And as far as protection went, at least he could count on being safe for as long as Ikkaku decided he should be. He would just have to be careful not to make him angry. With that thought in mind, Hana relaxed a bit and as the strong man held him close, the gentle rhythm of his breathing lulled the healer off to sleep.

As Hanataro stilled, the bigger man sighed. When he had come back that afternoon from beating his subordinates further, Hana had been passed out again and had more or less stayed that way until nightfall. Then, the kid had started to moan in his sleep, and then had sat bolt upright, still asleep, but screaming. There had been no waking him either. Ikkaku had climbed in with him to comfort him. He was obviously dreaming about what had happened, and he seemed tortured by the very memory. The third seat made a mental note to run some extra 'training' for those fuckers again tomorrow, and try to convince Hanataro to charge them.

When the healer woke again, it took a moment before he remembered what had happened the night before, and wondered for a moment if it had just been a dream. Then he rolled over in the bed and came nose to nose with a slightly snoring bald man and realized it had, in fact, been real. For a few minutes he lay there, wondering at how the brute he had known could be so calming a presence on his tormented mind when he was the leader of the very men responsible for his pain. Well, maybe not leader, but close enough. Everyone knew that Captain Zaraki only cared about fighting and couldn't care less about actually running his squad, and Lieutenant Yachiru only cared about candy. That left the third seat more or less running the show. He trained the new recruits as well as ran drills with the entire squad, Hanataro knew. Their training schedule was posted in the fourth division so they knew which dojos were in use when for cleaning purposes. They were always signed off by Madarame. He could only imagine what else the man was left in charge of. The ins and outs of running a combat-division were not his specialty.

The thought led to another in the healer's mind, and he sat up, trying to leave the bed as gently as possible, so as to not wake the sleeping bear beside him. He had gotten one foot on the floor and was slowly trying to add the second when he was stopped dead in his tracks.

"Where you goin, eh?" The sleepily mumbled sentence might as well have been a roar of ferocity for the effect it had. Hanataro immediately fell off the bed entirely, his body shaking with fear of having angered the muscular third seat by trying to sneak away. He then winced in pain from having landed firmly on his still-sore bottom, and the over-all effect was for him to more or less crumple to the ground upon hearing the words, into a shivering pain-ridden mess. The slight man tried to answer, but when he did the only sound that escaped him was a small sob. Ikkaku was out of bed within an instant of this. He picked up the other and lay him back down where he, himself had been only a moment before.

"Don't be doin that," Ikkaku said, his voice softer than Hana would have thought possible, "You'll hurt yourself more'n you are already." A hand reached up and gently ruffled the other's hair before the man stood to full height and stretched his arms a bit.

"If ya want somethin', let me know. Ya still need your rest, kid." Ikkaku walked over a bit to where another blanket lay spread on a few of the cushions that had been around the table, and sat down heavily on that. He yawned and rubbed his face a bit as Hanataro stared in silence with a dissipating but still present fear.

"I, uh," The smaller man stumbled on his words, finally forcing them out as his sense of duty outdid his sense of fear. "I need to go to work, Madarame-san." He had already been missing entirely yesterday, and his captain and lieutenant would be turning the seretai upside-down looking for him if he didn't turn up.

"Don't worry 'bout that," the other shrugged, "I sent Yumi to explain to your captain yesterday how we would be doin some 'intensive training' the next few days and how I ran into you and you volunteered to stick around here so I'm not constantly running my guys back to the fourth. I'd have gone myself, but your captain hates me, and is only kida wary of Yumi. O'course I think everyone is a little wary of Yumi." He ended with a small smile on his lips at the mention of the fifth seat, who was known to be very close to the fighter, and Hanataro suddenly remembered the healing that had been administered to his wounds. He wondered if the beauty could have been the one who had done it.

"So don't worry too much about work," Ikkaku went on, "I can make intensive training drag on for quite a few days." The smaller of the two was surprised. The other had given him a good excuse. The only one who would know it wasn't true would be Ayasagawa-san, and he was such good friends with the third seat, he was unlikely to tell anyone. Hanataro's shame would be kept silent, and even if the other man was only covering for his division's crime, Hanataro was glad.

"Th-thank you, Madarame-san." He didn't look up at the man as he spoke, but felt the other's eyes on him.

"Ya, well, I figured you wouldn't be too keen on lettin' the world know what happened. None o' their damn business anyways." He rubbed a hand over his hairless scalp. "And it's Ikkaku. You don't have ta be so formal with me. I aint your captain or somethin'." The man laid back down onto the cushions, where, Hanataro now realized, he must have started out the night, and closed his eyes again.

"Now go back to sleep while you got a couple days off." His voice was stern and though the injured man was no longer tired, he lay back down anyway, remembering that he really did not want to anger this man. He could still hear him mumbling, seemingly to himself again.

"Can't believe… too early… sun's not even up… no respectable person… ungodly hour…" Hana listened to the mumbles quiet down into light snoring once again, and then found that perhaps he could do with more rest after all.

**They will actually be doing more than sleeping soon, I promise. Stay tuned.**

**~Andromeda**


	3. A Perplexing Meal

**Hey Interwebbers! This one's a little longer, with more dialogue. Please let me know what you think, good or bad. Thanks. **

After spending another day resting in Ikkaku's apartment, Hanataro's injuries were fading from his body, if not his mind. He had spent the day before mostly alone, while Ikkaku himself was out doing whatever it was the man normally did, Hanataro supposed. He didn't mind being alone. Even though it was a bit dull, he was still more than a bit worried about making the bigger man angry, so he was glad to be out of his way.

The bald man came back at mid-day to make the two of them some lunch, as he had each meal so far. It turned out that Ikkaku had expressed an unexpected love of making meals and was a fairly decent cook. Hanataro at first didn't believe that the man had any culinary skill, but after realizing that the first meal he had been left had in fact been made by Ikkaku, he was convinced to try the fighter's food, and it happened to actually be good. Since that first meal, the bigger man had come back to cook for the healer, and they had eaten together, mostly in silence, for every meal. Now was more of the same.

"How is it?" Afraid to anger the man, the answer was always the same.

"It's good, Ikkaku-san," He gave the other a small smile. In truth, the meal _was_ good, quite good, not that he would have said any different even if it hadn't been. Ikkaku nodded, but the look on his face was troubled, and Hanataro noticed. He was still trying to decide whether to say something or just let it be when the other broke the quiet.

"Have ya thought about pressing charges, Hana?" The expression on the man's face had become one of the deepest scowls Hanataro had seen in the past few days, and he wasn't sure how to respond. The question had come from nowhere, though obviously it had been weighing heavily on the other's mind.

"Uh… well, no, Ikkaku-san, I…" he stammered.

"Well you aughta." The bald man's scowl diminished a bit. "They deserve it." Hanataro was shocked.

"You… want me to… press charges against your men?"

"They aint my men, ya hear me?" Ikkaku barked back, a little more forcefully than he intended, "If it was up to me, they'd be outa the squad faster'n you could blink, but it aint, alright?" His voice calmed a bit and he sighed.

"Thing is, Hana," The third seat went on, "There's only so much I can do ta punish 'em. If you want somethin' really done, ya gotta do it officially. I'm all for personal justice an' all, but the best thing for you ta do would be to report them. I can put through the paperwork for ya in place of Zaraki, like I said, or your captain can do it, but DO it. Alright?"

Ocean blue eyes met piercing black ones for the longest moment since the healer had been staying with the fighter. The man was speaking truthfully, Hanataro finally decided; the honesty in his eyes ran deep. After years of working in the fourth division, he had developed a good sense of when words were true or not. He dropped his gaze.

"O-ok, Ikkaku-sa-"

"Don't do that." Ikkaku cut him off, with a stern voice, making him drop his spoon in a moment of fear.

"Wh-at?" he fumbled with the spoon, getting it back on the table and wiping up the mess it had made when it fell.

"Don't be so formal with me. Yer not my subordinate, Hana. Ya don't have to treat me like I'm gonna rip yer head off if ya say the wrong thing, 'cause I won't. I'd of thought you'd of figured that out by now." His voice was firm, but not harsh or threatening, though Hanataro still felt intimidated. He watched as the man sighed and quietly finished his meal. When he was done he left without another word, leaving the smaller man sitting alone at the low table, wondering what exactly had just happened.

An hour later the slight man had cleaned up the remnants of the meal and tidied up the apartment before wondering what else could pass his time. He was still trying to decide whether it would be safe for him to go out, knowing that he was currently in the middle of the eleventh division barracks, when there was a knock on the door, followed by a sing-song voice.

"Oh, Hanataro! Are you in there, little healer?" Before the man could respond, the door swung open with the swish of elegance and drama that only came from the eleventh squad's fifth seat.

"Oh, hi Ayasagawa-san." Hanataro bowed to the man, who flew forward and took the healer's face in his hands.

"Hmm… You look fine to me." The beauty noted as he inspected the small man, "A little unkempt, perhaps, but not like you've been through any trauma. I've always thought you to be one of the more beautiful people in your division, you know." He laughed a bit as he let go of the other's chin. "Not unlike myself in some very basic ways." Hanataro was confused. He had not seen the vain fifth seat for the first two days he'd been here, but now here he was, out of the blue.

"Uh, Ayasagawa-san, what are you…" He didn't get to finish the question, as the man chose then to drag him by the wrist out the door of the apartment, out of the building and into the courtyard outside.

"Come with me, Hana, you need some sun." Yumichika said as he pulled the other along, "Ikkaku is a bit dense and doesn't always realize that people other than him have needs."

Out in the courtyard, the early afternoon sun was bright on the grass, and a gentle breeze blew the blades softly. Looking at the clean walls of the buildings surrounding the well-kept lawn you would never guess that some of the most blood thirsty shinigami of the seretai lived, slept and ate within these barracks. The taller man sat at a picnic table in the courtyard and patted the seat next to him for the other to join.

"So tell me what happened." Violet orbs looked intently at the healer as he took a seat next to the manicured male.

"Uh, what happened?" Yumichika nodded.

"He's gotten himself all in a knot about something and it only got worse when I mentioned you, so something must have happened." The man flipped his hair as though he had just said the most obvious thing in the world. "I mean he's been all agitated for days now – since you came to stay with him out of the blue – but even more so since he came back from lunch." Hanataro frowned a bit. Ikkaku was actually bothered by the fact that the slighter man was afraid of him, something that baffled him. He had never seen the bigger man care that others feared him before, so why now?

"So? What is it? And while you're at it, tell me why you decided to pay our division a visit, too." The feathered face gave a smile, and Hanataro frowned more.

"I thought… you already knew." Yumichika shook his head.

"Normally Ikkaku doesn't keep things from me. He doesn't lie in general principle, but normally when I ask, he tells. Not this time. Not a peep. He just keeps saying it's no one's business." He frowned disapprovingly, and then went on, "Of course, the men in the division have their ideas, and Ikkaku's reputation doesn't help the situation. They keep saying he's sweet on you and finally got you, but I know there's got to be more to it than that." Hanataro nodded, then realized what he had said, and balked.

"What? You think he's sweet on me too, Ayasagawa-san?" The man just smiled in response.

"No, Hanataro, I know he is. I've known him longer than anyone else, and I can tell from the way he talks about you. But that's nothing new; he's liked you for a while now, so I know something else must be at play. He just won't tell me what."

He sat, staring with questioning eyes at the smaller man as what he'd said was processed by the other's mind. Hanataro couldn't believe what he heard. He had never gotten the impression from the third seat that there was any sort of attraction, and from what he'd heard of Ikkaku, the man was not one to be shy when it came to flirting. When the man went to the bar, anyone and everyone there were in danger of becoming the most recent target of his attention. The only thing that seemed to stop him from sleeping with the entire seretai one shinigami at a time was the fact that he often got so drunk that he passed out long before it could go any farther than some harmless banter. Even so, the man certainly spoke his mind, and if he liked someone, surely they would know it… right?

Hanataro was even more perplexed then he had been moments before now, and with his head spinning and an eager Yumichika still prodding him for an answer with those brilliant wisteria eyes, he heard himself giving out the truth more readily than he would have normally liked.

"I was attacked." If the healer had thought this would provoke some sort of reaction in the other man, he was mistaken, as the collar clad shinigami simply nodded understandingly.

"I thought that might be it. It was one of the idiots in our division was it?"

"Yes," The healer answered softly, "They were."

"oh." That at least caused the other to turn his head, his eyes opening a bit wider. "I'm sorry to hear that… If it makes any difference, Ikkaku has had them killing themselves training for the past few days. He forbade them from going to the fourth for healing, too, so they've been groaning and moaning a lot more than normal. And then there's that lie he got me to tell your captain about you helping us out around here…" Hanataro didn't know how to tell the other man that, no, it didn't really make him feel any better, but as it turned out he didn't have time, as the man went on before there was a chance.

"But now, Hanataro, little Hanataro, tell me what happened this afternoon that has Ikkaku's panties in a bunch." He laughed again, seemingly at his own imagery, "He's the worst he's been yet, and he wasn't like that this morning." Hanataro considered it for a moment, and then decided it would be easier to tell him.

"I think he got upset because, well, I'm kind of… afraid… of him." He looked up to see a smiling Yumichika rolling his eyes.

"Yes, that would do it. He seems to forget sometimes that to those that don't know him well enough he can be intimidating, even downright scary at times." He stood up and Hanataro did too, feeling that the quaffed beauty had gotten what he'd come for.

"Don't worry about him, Hana, I'll straighten him out before I send him back. You know, though," he said before he turned to leave, "You really don't have to be afraid of him. I know he'd never hurt a hair on your pretty little head."

As the fifth seat left, he waved back at the healer, who stood out in the courtyard for a moment, watching the other go and thinking about what he'd learned. Firstly, that Yumichika hadn't known he'd been attacked, and hadn't known the extent of it, he'd only guessed, so he couldn't have been the one who had treated his wounds. Also, the brutes that had done this to him – as well as the entire division by the sound of it – were being drilled hard by Ikkaku in lieu of punishment even though the healer had never expressed a desire for justice. And, finally, that Ikkaku Maderame, feared fighter and third seat of the most intensive combat division of the Gotei 13, had a soft spot for little Hanataro, a healer with no combat skill and very little self confidence when it came to much other then medical triage.

A few minutes later he was still rooted to the spot, head spinning with the strange information, when he felt a strong reiatsu approaching and realized he was still out in the courtyard, unprotected, in the middle of the eleventh squad barracks. He quickly shuffled back inside to Ikkaku's room to wait for him to return and to ponder more on the completely odd and unexpected situation. He had a feeling that life was about to get a lot more complicated.

**I know, not too much Ikkaku in this one, though he was discussed a lot. We did get to hear from Yumi though. Yay! He's going to be important I think. **

**Hope to post again soon. **

**~Andromeda**


	4. Homecoming

**Hey Interwebbers!**

** Fair warning, there is some smut in this one, though it's not a lot. I had to rewrite it a few times. Hope you like it.**

**Also, I would like to thank those that added the story to their favourites or left comments. They are much appreciated! Thank you all so much. **

Hanataro was still engrossed in his thoughts when Ikkaku returned. The men barely said two words to each other and Hanataro feared that the furrow of the other's brow would be permanent this time. Still, he thought, he couldn't let it stop him. Both the bald man and the man's best friend had told him not to be afraid, and he couldn't help now but to look at Ikkaku with a sort of wonder, thanks to the information leaked by Yumichika. If it was true and Ikkaku had a soft spot for the healer, there was no way he would come to harm if he hadn't so far.

Just as Hanataro had gathered his courage enough to speak, so too did Ikkaku, seeming not to notice that the other had something to say.

"I think yer just about healed up as much as I can help ya with." He said, without looking up from his tea. "Your bruises aren't noticeable and yer sleepin' through the night without screaming. Figure you can go back to yer own place."

This seemed to both relax and sadden Hanataro. It was, in fact, what he had been about to say, but to hear the other say it seemed to make it more real. In truth, he didn't feel that he wanted to leave, especially now that he was beginning to have some genuine curiosity about the man. It was his sense of responsibility that pushed him to get back to work, though, and he knew he would have to go back eventually.

"Ok, Ikkaku. I think so too." He tried to keep his tone casual, as the man had wanted. "Thanks, though, for… well, everything."

"Ya." The gruff response was mumbled and without eye contact from the bigger man. "No problem. Let me walk you over." He grabbed his Zanpacto from the stand beside the door and was out before Hanataro had the chance to stand. He ran to keep up with the bigger man who marched more than walked Hana back to the fourth.

Isane felt the reiatsu of Ikkaku Madarame before she saw him coming down the path into the fourth's barracks. She searched him out immediately, finding him easily on the edge of the compound.

"Madarame!" She yelled, still some distance away. A lot of the fourth division was afraid of the members of the eleventh, but being a lieutenant, she never allowed herself to show it to the fighters who came through their door.

"What exactly have you done with Yamada?" Ikkaku looked at her with his signature sneer, his eyes narrowed.

"Wha… Whada ya mean, done with him?" His voice rose also, in answer to the grey-haired superior. Before something could start, though, a sheepish Hanataro poked out from behind Ikkaku's much larger frame.

"I'm here Lieutenant. I'm fine." This seemed to surprise Isane, who looked to be relieved to see the seventh seat.

"Hana, thank Kami you're ok. We were worried when you didn't check in with anyone." Hanataro began to reply but was cut off by a, now quite loud, Ikkaku.

"Well he's been busy, alright? I've been runnin' my guys in circles the past few days, so lay off him!" Isane took an involuntary step back. She was still a lieutenant, and not one to be yelled at, and was about to tell him as much when little Hanataro spoke up.

"It's ok, Ikkaku, she was just worried. She didn't mean anything by it." He put a small hand on the other man's arm as he spoke, and when he did, Ikkaku seemed to calm right down. Isane thought she also noticed something else that flashed across the big man's face for an instant before he regained his control. Could it be..?

"Alright, fine." Ikkaku was saying, "But if she gives ya a hard time about this, you just let me know and I'll straighten it out." Hanataro smiled at that. Before all this he would have thought the man was making a threat. Now he thought it sounded more like an offer to help and Hana was grateful.

Isane watched the flow of expression between the two men and shook her head. Was this really Hanataro interacting so willingly and so calmly with the third seat of the eleventh squad? Maybe there was more of a friendship there than anyone had previously known. Perhaps the man really had volunteered then, the lieutenant thought.

A lull in the conversation brought Isane back from her thoughts and she turned to Hanataro, her protective instinct kicking in once more.

"You should get some rest Hanataro. If you've been working as hard as Madarame-san here would have us think, you will need it. I'll get you back on the duty rotation tomorrow." Hanataro nodded.

"Thank you Lieutenant," he bowed slightly to her then turned to face the fighter. "Bye Ikkaku. I'll see you around, I guess." The other nodded, the frown never quite gone from his face.

"You bet. And hey, think about what I said this morning, alright? I mean it." The healer smiled back at the departing man as he walked back down the path to his own squad.

"What did he say this morning?" Isane asked, confused. Hanataro just stared straight ahead, his face turning pink, and shook his head.

"N-nothing important Lieutenant." He suddenly turned back toward his own apartment and took off at a quick pace.

"Well, thanks Lieutenant, I'd better get home, I'll see you!" Before Isane could say another word, she was standing alone on the edge of the division, bathed in the early evening sun and very, very confused.

When Hanataro got back to his own room, he flopped down onto his bed, and was immediately aware of how different it was from the one he had been sleeping in the past few days. He knew, of course, that all the beds for the seated officers, at least, were standard issue, and he doubted Ikkaku's was any different, but it _felt_ different just the same. When he had been in Ikkaku's bed, he had been wrapped in warmth, and even when the man had not shared his bed, there had been his smell. It was not a bad thing at all; musky but light and sweet somehow. In fact it was comforting to have around, and now there was no sign of it.

He closed his eyes, trying to decide what he felt for the man. He had long since been afraid of him, but the Ikkaku he had seen over the last few days was different, caring and comforting, and Hana could feel an attraction growing. Just moments ago when he had touched the man's arm there had been electricity running through his body as the harshness in the other's eyes seemed to melt. Warmth ran through him as he remembered it, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, and a tightness beginning to form in his groin. As Hanataro recalled the strength of those arms, wrapped around him that first night, so comforting, firm, yet gentle, he felt a tingle run through him. He remembered the feeling of the warm, firm chest pressed snugly against his back, the calloused hand running through his hair and down his neck, and unnoticed was his own hand, moving lower of its own accord.

His mind traced images of Ikkaku from his memory, and he watched the man come to life in his imagination; not the brute he had once thought him to be but the kind man he now suspected he really was.

"Hana," the man said his name and the voice was soft and made the healer shiver once more. "I wanted you to stay with me, Hana." The imaginary Ikkaku lay down with the healer, his scent wafting once more over the smaller man, filling him with bliss. His rough hand came up to caress the other's hair, then moved in behind his head as he brought their faces closer together.

"I wanted to stay, Ikkaku…" He let out a small sound as the imaginary man kneeled over him, his body's heat radiating down, and leaned in closer. Their lips touched, lightly at first then more completely as the black haired man pulled the other down. A hand roamed the muscular chest above him with light touches and he felt a need rise in him he never had thought possible with the third seat. He could feel the desire in their kiss, the fire in the other's touch, the electricity running down him. The intensity continued and he could feel his clothing being shed, but didn't care. The other man was soft, moving gently, and so unlike what he would have expected. He wrapped a hand around the hairless head, running his fingers over it then down the man's neck as he felt his length suddenly being held by a strong hand. A finger ran over his sensitive tip and he shook with anticipation, feeling the wetness of his own leaking member being spread over the head. As the hand stroked him, he bucked with it, feeling in ecstasy as he looked into those dark, red-tipped eyes he had once feared.

"Ikkaku…" He moaned the name of the one who tortured him with long slow strokes, never leaving those eyes that seemed to see through him so completely. The smile that came to the lips of the man was not the one often seen on the fighter during battle, but was one of contented happiness that Hanataro had seen when at the man's apartment. He leaned in again to barrage the smaller man's mouth with kisses as his hand picked up speed. Heat rose in the healer's core and his loins burned with need. Thin lips and a brush of teeth raked across his neck as the man moved lower, working his way down to Hanataro's chest. A warm tongue traced down his collarbone, mouth sucking sweetly along the way. Goosebumps ran over his pale skin as he traced the man's broad shoulders with his fingers, and as Ikkaku's mouth found a hard pink nipple a gasp escaped him. A calloused hand was still working his shaft, the other curved around his round ass, caressing, and Hanataro let out a cry and let loose to the fighter's name.

"Ikkaku!" as he opened his eyes, he found himself once more alone in his apartment, naked on his bed and covered in a sticky mess. All at once he realized what he had done. He hadn't intended to do anything more than decide how he felt about the man, though, he realized, he certainly had done that. It seemed he had stronger feelings then he had previously known, although he had to admit that the quickening of his pulse when the other was around could have been caused in part by attraction this whole time.

As he cleaned himself off, he wondered what to do about this then realized it was probably a bad idea to do anything. The only reason he had to think there was two ways to this attraction was Yumichika who wasn't above lying for his own amusement, and even if it was true, he barely knew the man. He thought he had caught a glimpse of the real Ikkaku during the last few days, but what if that had been the façade? What if the real Ikkaku was the blood thirsty, sex-driven, drunken brute that everyone thought he was? If that was the case, then Hanataro could get himself in some real trouble. No, he thought; better to not act on it.

He lay back down on his bed, clean once more, and closed his eyes, trying not to think of the other man. At first he was successful, but as he slipped down into sleep, his thoughts returned to the fantasy once more and that night his dreams were filled with Ikkaku.

**That's it for now. Another chapter is already nearly finished. Should be up soon. Let me know what you think. Thanks!**

**~Andromeda**


	5. When it rains

**Hey Interwebbers! **

**Sorry for the long wait for the next instalment. I have been very busy with school and whatnot, so I haven't had time to do much in the way of writing, but I did finally get around to finalizing this chapter. _ took a while. I tend to re-write things a couple times when things dont flow the way I want the first time, and this was one of those. I also had some problems uploading it, so if you find random letters it's because I had to upload it as a .txt doc and it took out all my formatting and put g's and f's and h's everywhere. #_ Not happy about that one. **

**A warning about this one for you all, not that you really need it, as it is rated M and this is far from it IMO, but there is violence and breif language in this chapter, but then there usually is when Ikkaku is concerned. Also, a warning, though it isn't in this chapter, starting the next one this story will be changing to include MPreg. I know, I know, Mpreg is stupid, and I don't normally like it either, but for this one, I think It will work. **

**TL;DR: Sorry for the wait, watch out for random letters, fighting and swearing, also story is Mpreg as of the next chapter. **

The first few days that had passed since Hanataro's return had been fairly quiet, but today was far from it. When it rained it poured, Isane thought as she hurried from one room to the next, making sure the patients were all being taken care of. There was nothing communally wrong with anyone, but the rooms of the clinic were overflowing with a variety of small things that seemed unrelated, but had all come on the same day.

Hanataro was out running errands, but had been in the clinic that morning, and Isane had noticed, happily, he was looking much better with each passing day. She still wasn't sure what had happened to him while he was gone, but she had her suspicions. The day after he had gotten back she had paid him a visit in the morning, to have breakfast and check up on him. He had insisted, of course, that he was fine, but he had been rubbing his shoulder a lot, and that worried her. She knew he had an old injury on that shoulder where he'd been bitten by a hollow years ago, before joining the gotei 13. He had gotten away, but it had left a scar, and though he had been checked by Unohana herself and deemed fine, whenever he was injured or bothered by something, it seemed to cause him pain.

Isane would have bet her left foot that those meat-heads in the eleventh had done something to him while he was there and Hana was just too meek to say anything. Or, she thought, thinking back to when Madarame had brought him back, maybe he was being threatened to keep him quiet. What had that jar-head told Hanataro before he left? 'Think about what I said,' wasn't that it? It made sense that Ikkaku would threaten him; the boy was not exactly the strongest character around and would certainly fold in the fighter's wake.

Still, the seventh seat was her friend and though that meant she would look out for him, it also meant she had to trust that he would tell her if he was in trouble. He kept insisting he was fine and that nothing had happened, so until she had proof otherwise, she would have no choice but to believe him. Until then, though, she would keep a very close eye on any eleventh division brute she saw; especially Ikkaku Madarame.

"Lieutenant," she heard the girl who was supposed to be minding the front desk, breaking her from her thoughts, and turned to face her. "This came for you." The hell butterfly fluttered over and landed on Isane's finger as she thanked the small girl who hurried back to her post.

"Lieutenant Kotetsu," Captain Unohana's voice rang out from the butterfly, sinking Isane's spirits even more. "A group of Menos Grande has been spotted on the edge of the rukongai. The eleventh division has been dispatched. Expect casualties soon. I have gone with the 14th advanced relief team to do primary triage. Please remain at base and await wounded." With that the butterfly left, and Isane took a breath. They would need to clear up some space for the injured who'd be coming in. She took a look around and shook her head at the full halls and busy healers. Yep, she thought, when it rained, it poured.

Ikkaku stood in the field on the outskirts of the rukongai watching carefully over the lower officers as the division fought the Menos Grande that had gotten through a hole in the border. Zaraki was slicing them up with fervor, but the rest of the division had so far gone unhealed since the harsh 'training' the week prior and were already half gone when the call came in. As such, though they fought hard with the new training taking hold, they seemed to be falling hard too, and Ikkaku was becoming increasingly frustrated that he had to keep an eye on them. He would much rather join the fray.

The fourth squad had set up relief efforts and was hauling away the lower ranking officers on stretchers by the dozen it seemed, and though he was annoyed that they were there, he admitted they were needed. Plus, he thought, it was good to see that Hanataro was back to normal. He watched the seventh seat rush from man to injured man, making sure they all got what they needed, and wondered how someone so timid could be here in the midst of Menos Grande and be so calm. The small man may be afraid of his own shadow some days, but when it came right down to it, he was pretty brave and that was something Ikkaku admired. It was easier for Ikkaku to stand there on the battle field without so much as a blink of an eye; he was a well-trained fighter who could protect himself. The same couldn't be said about little Hanataro, but here he was all the same.

Another cero shot by and he shouted at an unlisted man who wasn't paying enough attention and had almost got hit. The man jumped up and hurried back into position, holding the front line as another group advanced on the Menos before them. The tactics were working. Even if the men were already beat up some, the seated officers could all handle Menos Grande with little trouble, and the hollows' numbers were already being steadily reduced.

Just when they were making some progress, though, a devilish cry came crashing out from behind the Menos, leaving several lower ranked men frozen in place. A blur of grey, razor sharp claws raked out and swept away several fighters at once, leaving the plane clear save the stain of red that ran through the grass. A white mask with great dripping fangs covered most of the hollows face, save one ocean blue eye. The hollow cried out again with a ferocious roar and sprang forward, clearing the fighters with a single bound. It landed surprisingly gently, and propped its self up, readying a cero, and as it did, Ikkaku's body moved on its own, flash stepping to the one in the beast's aim; the one who hadn't noticed the hollow because he was too wrapped up in trying to heal the injured eleventh squad. The one who Ikkaku would never again let come to harm.

Ikkaku's flash step was fast, and as he grabbed Hanataro and pulled him away, the hollow yowled in dismay, giving up the charging cero and leaping after the two escaping shinigami. As he followed them, Ikkaku going deeper into the forest and away from other dangers, the hollow spoke, yelling his intent.

"Give him to ME! I have CLAIMED HIM! He is MINE!" Ikkaku dropped the smaller man and turned to face the beast, whose uncovered blue eye began to glow as a deep demonic cry resounded in the wood. Ikkaku realized only just in time that the cry was not coming from the beast, but from the healer behind him, and turned to see a possessed Hanataro lunging at him, brilliant blue eyes glowing ferociously, in sync with the hollow.

"The fuck?" He dodged the man easily and swung the hilt of his sword against his head to incapacitate him. The sword knocked the small man out, but Ikkaku could only hope he hadn't hit him too hard, not having the time to check before returning his attention to the hollow. He didn't know how this monster had gotten control over Hana, but he would be damned if he was going to let him keep it.

The hollow slashed at Ikkaku with its silver claws, failing to make purchase, but coming dangerously close, as the fighter doubled back and tore at the thing with all his strength. The result was less then optimal, but left Ikkaku a moment while the hollow recovered to release his shikai.

"Grow, Hozukimaru!" The scabbard joined the sword of the man's weapon and his naginata formed in his hands.

Recovered from the blow, the hollow struck out once again at the man, who neatly dodged the attack and raked his blade down the hollow's side. As blood spilled out over the forest floor, though, the hollow started to laugh. It was an evil, menacing laugh that made Ikkaku's blood boil at the sound.

"What the hell's so funny, huh?" Ikkaku yelled at the monster, but then he saw it. The attack he had dodged had landed on Hanataro. He lay collapsed in a heap at the hollow fs feet. A flurry of emotions raged through Ikkaku. He had done everything he could to protect the healer from his own men, just to have him taken by this hollow? Just to have him pulled away all the same? To lose him now, like this, before he had even had a chance to tell him... What? How he felt? And how did he feel? At first he had thought the affection he had felt was just his protective instinct kicking in; that because he had saved the healer, he was eager not to let harm come to him. Now, he wasn't so sure. As the days had passed, the feelings had not faded, and now as he saw the crumpled form of the man's slight frame, a heat surged in his veins. No matter what caused them, he needed more time to figure out these feelings. He couldn't do that if Hanataro was dead. This was NOT going to be the way it ended, he decided. This couldn't be it.

A primal yell escaped the man, and he fought the laughing hollow with all the power of a broken heart, slashing and stabbing at the thing. His usual tactics of savoring the fight were abandoned. His signature grin and insanely ecstatic expression were forfeit. All that he could do, he did. When the thing reached for him with its sharpened claws, he pushed back with all his strength, when it lashed out with a sticky tongue, he spun and twisted free, and when the fangs got deathly close, he dodged with his flash-step and came right back in.

"He CALLS me! I NEED him!" the hollow screamed at Ikkaku as the two collided in the brush. The voice was crazed, wild, and delusional, but Ikkaku had never known many hollows that were sane. He kicked away another strike of the thing's tongue as it tried to get passed him to the healer's broken body.

"You don't understand. You cannot keep me from HIM! HE IS MINE!" It lunged out, claws extended as ikkaku braced against them with his naginata's staff.

"The Hell he is!" the man yelled back. "And the hell I'm lettin' you NEAR him!"

There was nothing fun about this fight and the constant urge to help Hanataro filled his very essence. He swept in close, and finding an opening, dug the bladed tip of his weapon far into the monster. When it went down, he slashed again and again until there was nothing left but a shuddering heap, bleeding on the ground. Breathing hard he went to Hanataro, kneeling by the small man, not knowing what to expect but fearing the worst.

"Hana..?"

His voice was soft, even scared perhaps as he searched with his senses. Down and down he explored, pleading silently, and then somewhere deep inside, he felt the slight but steady pulse of faint reiatsu within the small body. His hopes lifted and he immediately started working, using the balm he kept in the hilt of his katana, combined with some basic healing kido he had only used once since he had left the rukongai, the night the boy had been raped. As he watched, the small form in his arms gained some strength and stirred gently.

"Oh thank Kami," He sighed deeply, relieved that the healer would be alright, then froze again as blue eyes opened to meet his own. They were glowing.

He turned quickly, just in time to see the brilliant flash of a cero heading straight for him. Ikkaku knew a flash step could save him, but Hanataro would be left in the path, and he had almost lost him once. So instead the fighter did something he never expected he would ever do. Blocking the beam from the injured man opposite him, he closed his eyes and waited to be hit by the full force of the hollow's cero, and as it burned his flesh and threw him down, he didn't regret the decision. If it came right down to it, he couldn't live with himself knowing he had sacrificed Hanataro to do it, even if he was possessed by this thing. With that thought, his mind was peaceful, and accepting of his fate, even if that meant this was the end.

As he lay smouldering on the grass, he felt the slight frame of the other man stir beside him once more. His eyes opened painfully to look one final time at the healer he had done his best to protect. Every inch of skin was gone from Ikkaku's chest and he was in agony, but he didn't care. As he watched the boy rise to his feet, he smiled. Hanataro would be ok. He gazed upon the healer's soft black hair, his creamy white skin, and wondered how he could have mistaken his feelings before this. How could he not have realized that simply being around the man made him want to be better? It made him want to be more. It gave him strength in a way that no amount of fighting or training ever could. Watching the man now, he realized all he wanted was to hold him one more time. To feel that slender body curled nicely in his arms, to run a hand through that silky hair and breathe in the clean crisp scent the other always seemed to have.

The thoughts and longings that ran through the once proud fighter's mind were abandoned, though, as the last thing Ikkaku Madarame saw just before the world turned white and faded out entirely were two brilliant glowing blue eyes shining down at him, as Hanataro stood above him, and ran him through.

**Oooooh! Suspense killing you yet? I will try to get the next one out soon, but be warned it won't be until at LEAST Tuesday. Stay tuned!**

**~Andromeda**


	6. Past wounds

**Hey Interwebbers! I'm back again! Hope you all enjoyed the cliff-hanger, and sorry about the wait on this one. It's not that I wanted to build suspense, it's just that I wasn't sure which direction I wanted to go with this part. I wrote three different versions, and this is the one I like best. ^_^ **

**Thanks to any and all who have left comments, I love them! It's so nice to hear from you all! Thanks also to anyone who added the story to favorite lists, as this is also exciting for me. This is the first story I write that I ever publish in any form, so it really means a lot to me. **

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

The sound bore down into his skull, pounding deeper and deeper with each painfully slow drop. It grew in volume and intensity with every repetition, filling him with agony. He could feel it. He could _taste_ it. Why didn't someone do anything? Why didn't someone stop the infernal racket?

_Drip._

Another nail drove down into his brain. Couldn't anyone tell this was torturing him?

_Drip. _

Another stake dug deep into his chest. Couldn't they see he was in pain?

_DRIP. _

He couldn't take it anymore. He would stop it himself.

With a frown Ikkaku opened his eyes a crack. The light was brilliant and surrounded him. It was overwhelming and for a moment he remained confused. Then he remembered. Hanataro had stabbed him. He closed his eyes again; retreating back into the darkness, but the light seemed to follow him there, too. Now the dripping didn't seem so bad. It was the light. The light pounded away at him, overloading his senses and making him frown harder. He tried again to speak but only managed a moan. Was he dead? If he was, shouldn't there be less pain? Unless this was Hell, he thought and tried furiously once more to open his eyes.

…_here… need… wake up… Ikkaku… please… Ikkaku… _

Words whispered into his consciousness, blurred and confused and still very far away. He couldn't tell who it was, though the voice was familiar. Could it be he was still alive? He dared not to hope. A slow but steady ache was forming in his body now, starting in his chest and spreading through his extremities. It added to the intensity of the light and the pounding and ringing in his ears. It grew out, deepening and swallowing him in pain, and as it did, the world began to solidify around him. The brightness of the light began to lessen into rough shapes and sounds became more distinct and less distant.

…_if I could, Ikkaku. _He heard someone nearby talking to him and tried to see their face without success. He was having trouble focusing on their words and was only catching parts of what they said.

…_died… would be devastated… Hanataro… for nothing… _

The medic's name caught Ikkaku's attention. What about Hanataro, he thought. They had both been injured, and the last thing he'd known, Hana had still been under the control of that hollow. What if the man hadn't been healed enough by Ikkaku's efforts? What if the hollow had eaten him despite everything? Even if he had managed to get away there was no guaranty that the hollow's essence wasn't still in control of the healer. Ikkaku shuddered at the thought of his Hana being hurt. He couldn't bear it. The pain he felt pulsating through him was nothing compared to what he would be willing to endure to keep the other safe, and as he lay there in the fuzzy, half-real world, surrounded by light, he willed himself to wake, if only to know the fate of his flower.

Yumichika sat at the bedside of his longtime friend, holding his callused hand softly and holding back tears. He hadn't left the chair in the fourth division barracks for the five days since the bald shinigami had been admitted, and he knew in the back of his mind that he must look awful. His hair hadn't been brushed, his face hadn't been washed properly, and he wore the same uniform he had that first day.

There had been no change since they had first brought him here, and Yumichika was beginning to lose hope. Those first few hours had been dreadful. The healers had spent the entire time working on keeping him alive, slowly putting him back together. When he had been brought in, he had a hole all the way through him, and was charred so bad that the fifth seat had thought he was already dead, but they had told him the reiatsu was there, but weak. They had stitched him up, doing the best they could to re-grow his skin and boost his weak spiritual pressure. Since then he had been here, unconscious and unaware. He lay in the hospital bed, un-moving, his eyes unseeing but not quite closed all the same. He looked dead, but apparently was in a coma. The medics had told Yumichika that Ikkaku was likely to need some time before the shock on his body faded enough for him to be able to wake up. They didn't know how long it would take, and the balance of life or death rested with him being able to recover reiatsu, but they thought that he could probably hear much that was said to him. The man didn't know if that much was true, but hoped it was.

"I'm here, Ikkaku. Just tell me you're ok." He sobbed quietly, "I need you to wake up, Ikkaku. You're supposed to be the strong one. Please wake up. Please, Ikkaku…" He closed his eyes, trying not to cry again. It was so un-beautiful.

There had been a time when Yumichika had seemed to do nothing but cry, but those days had gone since Ikkaku had entered his life. The man had burst his way into the beauty's world and established himself firmly in place. Since then, Yumichika had never worried about feeling safe, or being used, or abused. He was strong now, thanks mostly to the third seat's help training him, even when he thought he would never be able to lift a katana. Once, he had even been weaker than little Hanataro… He sat silently, remembering.

The fall leaves crunched under his bare feet as he ran, not knowing which direction he ran in or where he was headed. He was out of breath and his lungs burned in his chest, begging for rest, but he would never give in, never stop until he collapsed from exhaustion, or they caught him. The weather was just beginning to turn cold, but the exposure to early morning frost on the ground and the crisp north wind meant Yumichika had not been able to feel anything below his knees for a while now, and his fingers and face were beginning to feel numb despite the sweat that ran down his forehead from running. The trees around him stood tall and dark, casting shadows on the forest floor in the dim light of the sunrise, going all but unnoticed by the thin, malnourished man. He stumbled, falling in the brush, and ripping the silky blue kimono which had rested elegantly on his pale shoulders, put there by men who wanted only to keep the beauty as a doll, a sex toy to be used and abused. He stood again with a glance behind him, the first he had taken since his mad dash out of his prison and own personal hell. He saw no one, but continued to run just the same, knowing they weren't far behind him. Then he heard them.

They saw him, they knew where he was, and they were closing in. He wasn't strong enough to fight them or fast enough to outrun them normally, and not having eaten for days had weakened him even further. Stumbling again, he ran out onto a road that crossed through the forest, and then fell forward altogether when his numb foot smashed against a rock, sending him flying. They were on him in seconds it seemed. They came from all sides, grabbing him and sparing no pain as they re-captured their slave. His ribs cracked as they kicked him on the ground, and a leg snapped in two as it broke, one of them having stood right on him. He had tried to escape too many times, and though they preferred not to kill him, he knew they would do everything but in getting him back, if only to teach him a lesson. He tucked himself inward, trying to protect himself without much luck, and as he lay broken and bleeding on the ground, suddenly the torture stopped. His head spun and his body screamed with pain, but as he looked up he saw his captors being beaten, one by one, by a demon of a man, a feral grin on his face. When they were all down, either dead or near death, the feral man turned to Yumichika, still broken on the ground. His expression changed to one of deep concern and he said something that the injured man's mind either could not or would not decipher, just before the world around him faded to black. The last thing he saw were a pair of black, red-tipped eyes.

After that, Yumichika had stayed with Ikkaku. The bald man had taken care of him while he recovered and held off anyone who thought to re-capture the man. Yumichika had known that Ikkaku had been attracted to him, and had assumed at first that this was the only reason the other was helping him. He had supposed that eventually the man would expect to be paid back for his kindness, and Yumichika had dreaded it, but Ikkaku never pressured him for sex, and though over the years they had indeed slept next to one another in the same bed many times, often due to a lack of funds one way or another, the two had never become lovers. In fact, Ikkaku had simply turned out to be the best friend Yumichika had ever known. He had taught the raven-haired man how to defend himself, then how to fight when he started to get better, and since then Yumichika had never had to worry about being sold back into the sex trade. He had come a long way in recovering from the mental anguish since then. He had become more confident and more independent, though there was still insecurity beneath the surface. He gave off the air of vanity and the impression that he was sure of himself and his ability, but the truth was he wore a mask every day. Ikkaku was the only one who had ever seen what was on the other side of that mask, and he was also the secret source of its power. He always had been, and without him… Yumichika didn't want to think about it.

"Please," He sighed heavily, "I would take this pain for you if I could, Ikkaku. You know I would. You just have to be stronger than you ever have. I know you can do this. You always fight and fight until you win, and it wouldn't be a win if you died." He squeezed the man's hand. "Think of little Hana, huh? All of us would be devastated if you were to… But Hanataro will have gone through his pain just to lose you. I saw the look in his eyes that day. Do you want this to all be for nothing?" He stared at the man, willing him to move, to blink, something, just to give some sort of a sign that he was still alive and not just an empty shell, but there was nothing; nothing at all. A tear slid silently down the pale cheek of the willowy man and, unnoticed, fell onto his orange collar.

"Feather-chan?" A small voice sounded from the doorway, and Yumichika turned to give Yachiru his best brave face. "Baldy-chan is going to be ok, right?" She didn't seem too upset, but then, Yumichika thought, the little girl had seen more death in her short years than most people would in a thousand years, even being in the 13 court guards. The Zaraki district was brutal.

"The healers don't know, Lieutenant," he said, giving her the truth. "They say if he starts to regain reiatsu on his own, then he will start to recover, but as far as when that will happen, or if it even will…" His voice cracked and fresh tears formed at the corners of his eyes. Yachiru put a small hand on his shoulder, as Kenpachi stood silently in the doorway, just looking on at the remnants of his officers.

**Ok, I know it's short, but I promise I will get more up soon. The next bit will practically write itself. It should technically be attached to this one, but it's been a while and I wanted to get something up for you guys. Thanks again for all the love and support!**

**~Andromeda**


	7. Present Wounds

**Hey Interwebbers! Wow, this one took a while for me to actually get to, I've been crazy busy, but it all came out at once in a flow of mysterious wonder! Like I said, it basically wrote itself... I love it when that happens. **

**All of you may remember and/or notice that I was planning to add Mpreg to this story, and this is the chapter where we see it. Love it or hate it, I think it will work in this story quite well, though personally I typically dislike it. **

**Lastly, I would just like to send out LOVE and virtual pancakes to all of you for the wonderful response I am getting! It has been quite encouraging, and I look forward to hearing what you think of this one, too. Love you all!**

Hanataro sat up in the hospital bed with a groan. After so many days, he was still in pain, and his reiatsu had yet to stabilize, but he didn't care anymore. He was eager to see Ikkaku, who he had been told was in a coma down the hall. He got to his feet slowly, his head spinning as he did, not used to being upright anymore, just as his lieutenant walked through the door.

"Hana! What are you doing? Get back in bed!" she took his arm and forced him back down, easily overpowering the small man in his weakened state.

"I want to see Ikkaku, Lieutenant," he answered insistently, "I'm feeling fine, really!" The lie came easily and though he never would have lied to Isane normally, he was certain they would keep him in bed until the end of time if they thought there was anything wrong. She gave him a stern look, unbelieving, and pushed him back into bed.

"He isn't going anywhere yet Hana, and neither are you." She tucked him in firmly, a worried look dancing in her big grey eyes.

"Besides, Hana, I need to talk to you." She sat down gently beside him, laying a hand on his, and looking him in the eye. "We got your test results." Hanataro was confused at this. She looked worried, and that was not a good sign, but if there was any trace of the hollow left in his system surely he would have been locked up already.

"I need to ask, Hana, as your friend, and a concerned one at that," Isane continued, her intense gaze worrying Hanataro further, "Did Ikkaku hurt you?" The small man frowned in uncertainty.

"Isane, we've been over this before…"

"I know, I know, but..." she hesitated, but found the words, "If something happened, I need you to know you can trust me, and if he's threatening you or-"

"He wouldn't! Isane, I've told you, Ikkaku wouldn't do something like that." The silver haired girl was slightly shocked that the man had interrupted her, but continued.

"Ok, Hanataro. It's just that you can tell me if something's… going on." She didn't let him protest again before continuing.

"Look, we got your results back, and they just paint a certain picture that doesn't quite match what you've been telling us." The raven-haired healer frowned again and Isane couldn't help think he was picking up some bad habits from the eleventh division fighter as she went on. "Now that we had a sample of the hollow to compare to, we were able to confirm that there's no trace of it left in your system, which is good, but we also found out more about how it most likely behaved.

"It looks like it created a reiatsu cage inside of you to hide its presence. The cage itself is made of your own energy, and is still inside of you, but we did deep scans of it, and the hollow is gone. From what we can tell, every time you were in pain, the hollow would transmit some of your energy using the piece of itself it left in that cage. When it had enough, it abandoned the cage, made itself whole again and searched for you." Hanataro's blue eyes had dropped to his lap, and he nodded slowly, listening.

"So, I'll be ok then." He said softly, relieved. "But then why are you so worried, Isane?" He looked back up at her with his ocean orbs and she thought she could see to his soul through them.

"Hana, your body found another use for the reiatsu cage." She grasped his hand in both of hers, speaking in a gentle voice. "You're pregnant."

At first Hanataro thought he had misheard, then he realized there was no way he could have, and thought maybe he was just dreaming. There was no way he could be… afflicted as such; he was male after all. Even a reiatsu cage wouldn't cause… that. But the more the healer thought about it, the more he realized it could be possible. He knew, after all, that pregnancy for those in soul society was different than human women in the real world. Here, pregnancy was mostly in reiatsu form anyway, though not entirely, and that may prove to be problematic later on, but there would be a good amount of time before they would have to worry about that. The more he thought about it, in fact, the more possible it seemed.

"But, I only…" He stopped. He had been about to tell Isane that he hadn't had sex since his academy years, but then realized the horrible truth of the situation. He could feel all the blood run away from his face, and suddenly felt dizzy and nauseated. "Isane, I'm gonna…" she was already there with the trash bin, having seen him grow pale, and as he retched she rubbed his back and held back his hair. When he had emptied his stomach, he lay back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, his head spinning again.

He had been raped. That's how he was pregnant. He put a hand to his abdomen, thinking about it, and closed his eyes. There had been four of them, three of whom could be the father, and none of which he wanted to have anything to do with. There was nothing else to do. He was on his own in this.

"We did tests," The lieutenant spoke up again, "and the baby isn't hollow, it's definitely shinigami. We didn't do a paternity test; we would need a more invasive test for that, and you would need to consent." She took a long pause, while Hanataro seemed to gather his thoughts, "It's Ikkaku's isn't it, Hana?"

The seventh seat met his lieutenant's gaze, then looked back at the ceiling in contemplation. They thought Ikkaku had raped him, and that it was his child. That's what everyone would think, wasn't it? As much as it pained him to think of people thinking of the fighter that way, he couldn't bring himself to reveal the truth. Meanwhile, Isane had taken the healer's silence as confirmation.

"If he forced himself on you, Hana –"

"No," he cut her off forcefully, sitting up in the bed once more, "I told you, Isane, Ikkaku wouldn't hurt me! I know he would never hurt me. I know that more now than even I did before this whole thing with the hollow. I was being controlled by that thing and he still tried to help me, he still risked his life to save me. I would be dead now if not for him, so please Isane, stop saying these things about him." By the time he had stopped talking, between the shock of finding out he was pregnant, thinking back to the night he was raped and the day he had almost caused Ikkaku to die, and the fact that he was passionately defending the man who had saved his life twice, Hanataro was crying, tears sliding gently down his cheeks.

"Oh, Hana, I'm sorry." Isane hugged the small man who continued to cry quietly in her arms for a few minutes. He felt completely overwhelmed all of a sudden. He wasn't ready to have a baby, certainly not by himself, and certainly not one that was conceived in such a terrible manner. He felt ashamed that he had been so weak and continued to be weak by not telling anyone about what had happened, but at the same time he was terrified that someone would find out. His lieutenant was still mumbling comforting words of apology, but he barely heard her. All of a sudden, all he wanted was to feel safe.

"I want to see Ikkaku, Lieutenant." As he rubbed his eyes, he looked up at Isane, who gave him a pitying expression.

"He's unconscious, Hana."

"I know. Please." He just wanted to be near the man again; to see his face, and smell his scent. Since that first night, he had felt so much better just being close to the third seat, and he craved his presence now more than ever. Hanataro had developed deep feelings for the bald man, and though he didn't quite understand how it had happened, he knew that he wanted to be closer to him. The man had not abandoned him, even when it was near certain that he would die because of it, and the healer knew he wouldn't abandon him because of this child either. What was more, Hana felt as though he owed it to the other to return the favor and stand by him while the man recovered. Even if Ikkaku was in a coma, the healer needed to be there for him.

Isane nodded, still looking worried, but less so now, and helped her friend to his feet. She had rarely seen the man before her so determined about anything. Though she really wanted him to rest, she had a feeling that he wouldn't really relax until he had seen Ikkaku if he was so decided on it. Besides, she thought, if Ikkaku had hurt him, he wouldn't be so eager to see him.

The two of them made their way down the hall, Hanataro hanging onto the girl for support as he shuffled with difficulty forward. When they made their way to Ikkaku's room, Isane paused at the door and turned to her companion.

"He was burned quite badly by the cero, if you remember. He looks bad, but most of that is superficial. His skin is growing back quickly; it's his reiatsu that we're still concerned with, but I don't want you taking it upon yourself to try to heal him. You're still too weak yourself, and everything that can be done is being done, alright?" He nodded gently, staring at the door, and when the silver haired girl was sure she would get no answer, she helped him into the room.

Though it was mid-day, the room was dark. The curtains were drawn and the room was bathed in a dim light which gave everything a feel of unease which Hanataro had never known could exist within the walls of the fourth division. There was room for two patients in the room, though at the moment Ikkaku was the only one, and as Hana looked, he saw what his lieutenant had meant. The fighter looked much worse than he remembered. The healers had needed to cut away all his dead flesh and re-grow it, and though it was well on its way, there were still patches where there were chunks simply missing from the man's body. He looked as if he could have been asleep, though Hana knew there was no time that the man ever slept so peacefully and it just made him look as if he were dead. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought, and he tried to focus on the positive; Ikkaku was alive.

He sat down in a chair next to the bed, beside a morose Yumichika who hadn't even looked up as the other two had entered. The two sat in silence for some time, not even realizing when Isane finally left.

"This is my fault." Tears welled up behind the healer's eyes as he spoke, "The hollow was after me, he shouldn't have gotten hurt like this." Yumichika didn't look up still, but at the other's words he took the smaller man's hand in his and spoke in turn.

"Ikkaku is a fighter, Hana. He would have gone after that hollow no matter what. That's his nature. Telling him to be safe is like telling the sun to be dark. It can't. He never went into a fight with anything but all his heart and soul, and he would be glad to know you came out alright. I know he would." The man's voice started to break then and he closed his eyes. As the two sat quietly once more, waiting and worrying, time moved gently on as Ikkaku's reiatsu steadily declined.

**Don't worry, like in George of the Jungle, "No one dies in this [story], they just get really big boo-boos."**

**Next one should be up soon. Thanks in advance for the reviews!**

**~Andromeda**


	8. The Truth Comes Out

**Here's a longer chapter for you all. It could be split, but I figured a longer one was better than two shorter chapters. Thanks again for all the responses, it warms my heart. **

**Enjoy, **

When the light finally began to fade from around Ikkaku, he had lost all concept of time. The pain in his body was still steady and intense, but he willed himself awake none the less. He felt his eyes open slowly, as if doing so too quickly might rip them out. He gazed up at the ceiling of the healing center for a few moments, taking silent inventory of each and every place that hurt, and was quite impressed by how much of him ached. He tried to move gently, and found that though it hurt to do so, the increase of pain was not substantial, and so he lifted his head.

His body was destroyed. The skin on his chest was raw and places on his arms had muscles exposed. It was quite the sight, but he was alive, and he hadn't expected to be after being hit by that cero. He supposed it was to be expected that he would be mangled in the experience.

Tenderly, being as careful as possible because everything hurt, he sat up slightly in the bed, still resting on the pillows. His arms were weak and as he struggled to get them to do what he wanted, he swore lightly under his breath. When he did, he heard a shuffling on his right, and turned his head to see wide blue eyes staring in disbelief.

"Ikka…" The rest of the man's name was lost as the small shinigami got out of the second hospital bed in the room and came to stand next to the injured fighter, tears welling up in the corners of those big orbs. Ikkaku grinned at the healer.

"Hey Hana. Ya'll righ'?" Hanataro let out a short laugh at that, and a tear ran down his face. At that, Ikkaku frowned slightly.

"Hey, don' cry, baka, tha's no way to say hello." He reached up a weak hand and brushed away the tear, letting his hand rest gently cupping the other's cheek as Hanataro held his hand in place with both of his and closed his eyes, starting to cry harder.

"I'm just glad you're awake Ikkaku. I was so worried. I, I was, I just…" He couldn't finish the thought, and simply sobbed into the other man's hand, feeling the warmth of it against his skin and relishing the moment of relief he felt. Ikkaku softly rubbed his thumb across the other's cheek, trying to soothe the man who belonged to the soft, smooth skin beneath his touch.

"Hush, Hana, it's alright now, eh? I'm alright. Don' cry, my Hana; don' cry." Hanataro sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, a look of confusion crossing his features.

"Since when am I yours, Ikkaku?" The man frowned slightly in contemplation at the question, then answered calmly.

"Since now, if you want to be." He looked into those beautiful blue eyes and went on, "I was lost in my mind somewhere until I could wake up, and the whole time I just wanted for you to be ok. I kept thinkin' that I could handle the pain I was in, I just had ta wake up to make sure ya were ok. That's all I wanted Hanataro." His hand was still on the smaller man's face and he felt the other lean closer into it in response.

"I…" He closed his eyes and for a moment he said nothing, but then his eyes opened once more. "I do want to be yours, Ikkaku; very much." The healer suddenly looked pained, and this worried Ikkaku. "I want to, Ikkaku, but, I don't think I…"

"IKKAKU!" At that moment a previously exhausted Yumichika who had been asleep on a chair near the end of the bed had woken up and seen his longtime friend awake and talking to Hanataro and had been unable to contain his joy, completely unaware that the two had been having a discussion. He bounded to the side of the bed, hugging his friend around the neck who immediately howled in pain from the rough nature of the greeting, prompting fourth division healers to rush into the room at the noise. When they finally managed to pry Yumichika off the injured man it was only thanks to a strong sedative they had needed to give him in order to regain some order of control. The loopy fifth seat then proceeded to pass out on the chair where he had previously been sleeping as the healers repaired the new damage the well-meaning man had done to Ikkaku.

When they were done, they gave the third seat a quick examination, making sure he remembered who he was and such, in case there was any brain damage, and when they seemed satisfied they left the two alone once more.

"Hana," Ikkaku frowned at the other in confusion once more. "I do remember, right up to the point where I passed out, but at that point, you were still under the control of that hollow, and I was dead. How did we get out of there?" Hanataro had been expecting him to ask. When he had gotten back to the division, he had gone over the facts with several people, at first not believing it himself.

"Well," He thought about where to start, sitting on the edge of the other's bed, "After you got hit with that cero, I could tell that you were still alive, but you wouldn't be for long. I could hear the hollow's thoughts in my mind, and I knew somehow that it could hear mine, so I thought desperately, 'don't make me stab him; I can't be the one to finish him with my own Zanpakto,' and the hollow did exactly what I told it not to. My Zanpakto works differently, though, and it heals instead of cutting. When the hollow made me stab you, it healed you enough to keep you alive, and filled the gauge of my sword. While the hollow was confused, I used all my strength to get back control long enough to let loose a blast on it, and that kind of… finished it off." When he had finished, he was blushing fiercely and couldn't look at the other man. He fiddled with his fingers in his lap, waiting for Ikkaku to say something, but wasn't prepared for what came next.

"So… You saved me." Hana looked back at the man at that. He didn't think of it that way.

"I barely got us out alive –"

"But you did, Hanataro. We're both alive thanks to you. You were brave and fought an incredibly strong hollow all alone. You saved us both. You saved me." The man smiled, but the healer shook his head.

"I only finished it off, Ikkaku. You did most of it. Besides, you almost died anyway, and if you hadn't been there, I never could have-"

"It don't matter, Hana. I don't care what ya say. You saved me." The look on the man's face told Hanataro there would be no changing his mind, so he let it go, instead simply smiling shyly as the other held his hand, eyes drifting closed once again. As Hanataro watched the other drift off to sleep, he wondered how he had been so lucky as to have someone like the fighter in his life, and how he would go about breaking the news of his pregnancy to the man. Just as he thought the man was sleeping, he felt the other's hands pulling him gently down, and as he lay on the man's shoulder, wrapped once more in his arms, he felt the comfort he had longed for these past few weeks as he had watched the man recover. Feeling safe and calm for the first time since returning the broken fighter to the fourth division, he slept, knowing that no matter what happened, now that Ikkaku was out of the coma, things would be alright.

Yumichika walked back into the fourth squad's health center, and felt a smile on his face in spite of himself. It had been four days since Ikkaku had first woken up, and things were beginning to return to normal. His friend had spent a lot of his time asleep, was still going to be spending a while longer at the fourth, and would need a long recovery time after that, but was now at least expected to make a full recovery. Yumichika had stayed at the third seat's side for the first day, not able to quite believe that the man would be ok, but since then had been coming and going on a regular basis, tending to the squad's paperwork that was pilling up drastically, and primping himself with the usual delicacy once more.

The idea of leaving his friend was difficult, but he knew that it would be a while before the man would be able to leave the health center, and that he was in good hands where he was. What was more, Hanataro hadn't left the man's side apart from his own check-ups since he had first come to see the unconscious shinigami after the incident first happened. The healer had certainly taken quite a liking to the bigger man, and the feeling, Yumichika could tell, was mutual. Ikkaku always seemed much calmer and much less pained when little Hanataro was around, even though the fifth seat had been told that every move the man made must be excruciating. He never complained about it; the food on the other hand was evaluated regularly. Yumichika couldn't understand how the other could be in such pain as he saw in the man's eyes from time to time and not mention a word of it, though he knew it had to do with Hana. Ikkaku wouldn't want the other to worry any more than he did already. He had told Yumi in confidence that the healer blamed himself for Ikkaku's pain, and he had no doubt his friend would rather suffer in silence than let the man feel worse.

When he got to Ikkaku's room, Hanataro was missing, but Ikkaku was sitting up with a half eaten lunch tray next to his bed.

"Giving up on food are we?" Yumichika sat down in the chair next to the bed, as Ikkaku sneered at the tray in response.

"I can't wait ta be outa here and cookin' for myself again. Didn't realize how good I had it." Yumichika smiled at the notion.

"I didn't realize how picky you were getting." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sandwich that had been made by a local deli and wrapped in waxed paper, and handed it to his shocked but grateful friend.

"Kami, Yumi, I could kiss ya!" He quickly unwrapped and began devouring the sandwich as Yumichika wrinkled his nose at the premise.

"A brute like you kiss a beauty such as me? Don't be absurd, Ikkaku." The vanity in the words covered the true message, but a sideways glance and wide grin from the injured man told the pampered fifth seat the message had been received.

"Besides," Yumichika went on, "There's someone else who I'm sure you would much rather kiss. Where is little Hanataro, anyway?" Ikkaku nearly choked on his food. He had known that his friend had caught on to the interaction between the two, which had become much more intense, despiite both their injuries, but to have him blatantly state it was a different experience altogether. He stared at the raven haired man.

"Uh, he went for some tests. He's still not up to full strength yet either, ya know." Yumichika nodded.

"It must be difficult to deal with all this. Still, I'm sure you're both grateful that the hollow didn't hurt the baby." At this Ikkaku did choke, his coughing drawing healers, whom he sent away again with a wave of his hand.

"What the hell are ya talkin' about, Yumi?" The willowy man blinked back in surprise.

"You mean to say he didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what, baka!" His voice was rising, and had a strangled edge to it that Yumichika wasn't sure was from the man's injuries or from the news, but which he didn't like none the less.

"Well," he answered slowly, "I don't know if it's really true, but I heard it from Rangiku who heard it from Renji who heard it from Rukia who apparently overheard Isane talking to Captain Unohana when she came in the other day for frostbite after getting hit by her own attack in training, silly girl. Anyway, they don't know how, but… Hanataro is pregnant." Ikkaku didn't move for a moment, unsure of what he was hearing, then started to process it and became confused.

"But, Yumi, Hanataro is a guy, how can he be… I mean, it's impossible, isn't it?" He stared at his friend, unable to wrap his mind around what was being said.

"They said it was something that hollow did to him. It put some sort of reiatsu cage inside him, and now that the hollow is gone, his body used the empty cage like an artificial womb." The man flipped his hair as he often did, "That's why he's been going in for so many tests."

Ikkaku thought furiously. Why hadn't Hanataro said anything to him? How long had the healer known about this? When had he gotten pregnant? Whose baby was it? That last thought set off an alarm in his mind, and suddenly he felt that he knew the answer. What was more, something Yumichika had said came back and smacked him across the face.

"Yumi, you said we must both be grateful the baby wasn't hurt?" Yumichika gave his friend a look of annoyance.

"Come now, Ikkaku. Hanataro isn't exactly known for sleeping around, and you're the one who's been giving him all your attention these past few weeks. From what I heard he's about six weeks along now, and that would put conception right around the time he spent those few days at your apartment." Ikkaku nodded, still unbelieving. How many others thought he was the father, he wondered.

Ikkaku's mind had been blown and for the rest of his collared friend's visit he sat, dazed and deep in thought. He didn't know how to feel. The fact that Hanataro had become pregnant from such a heinous act was more than he thought he could stand. If he'd had his strength, he would be out there stringing those monsters up one by one. On the other hand, Yumichika thought the kid was his, and if Yumi thought it, he woud certainly pass that thought around. If Hanataro hadn't corrected anyone about it, then what did that mean? Did the healer feel that Ikkaku should take care of him because it had been his men? Or was it more than that? Did he want Ikkaku to be a part of it just to be a part of it? They had gotten closer, and though they hadn''t really talked about it, Ikkaku had thought they would date once he got out of the health center. The man's head spun.

Yumichika was barely noticed when he bid his friend goodbye and left the man alone once more. Ikkaku sat there for a while longer before deciding he couldn't any longer. He pushed himself up and swung his feet out onto the cool floor, feeling a chill as the touch of it ran up his spine beneath his Yukata. He hadn't walked since the fight, but being headstrong, put weight on his weakened legs too quick and promptly fell back onto the bed. His second try was slower, more careful and went better than the first, and as he wobbled across the room, holding onto the rack of his IV for support, he became more and more determined.

When eventually Ikkaku got to the doorway of the room, he paused there, realizing that he didn't know where to go. He knew _who_ he wanted to see, just not where he would be, and stood there for a long minute wondering who he should ask before he saw Isane come around a corner, her nose in a patient file. As she walked past the room he reached for her arm.

"Hey, Isane-" The girl jumped and gave a yelp, before realizing who it was and getting mad.

"Madarame, what are you doing grabbing me like that? And what are you doing out of bed! You aren't strong enough yet for that! You could injure yourself further! Is that what you want?" Ikkaku brought his face closer to hers and spoke in a calm, quiet voice that surprised the lieutenant greatly.

"Listen, Isane, I'm fine, I'm not gonna hurt myself, and I'm sorry I startled ya, alright? It's just, do ya know where Hanataro went? I need ta talk to him." The look in the man's eyes was serious and concerned, but not pained, so Isane was inclined to believe him, though she didn't understand how he even had the strength to stand yet. She stared him down.

"What is it that's so important that it can't wait until he gets back?" The frown on his face was slight, but present as he answered.

"I just found out he's pregnant." Isane instantly softened. She had just assumed that Hanataro had told the fighter. The two of them were sharing a hospital room most of the time, when Hana wasn't gone to checkups and such. She had figured they would have come to terms with it by now. Besides, Hana hadn't given anyone so much as a hint as to who the father might be, but if you asked anyone, they would guess Ikkaku.

"I'm sorry, Madarame-san, I thought you knew." The man shook his head.

"I don't get why he didn't tell me neither. I had ta hear it from Yumi." He leaned harder on the IV, getting tired as he stood in the doorway. Isane noticed and backed them up into the room, pushing the man down lightly into a chair.

"I have to see him, Isane, I gotta talk to him 'bout this." Silver hair bounced as the girl nodded.

"I'll take you to see him, but first I want to talk to you about it." She took a seat on another chair facing the man. "You know Hana is my friend as well as a member of my division, so of course I want what's best for him. Now, Madarame-san, Hana has refused to let us determine the paternity of the child, and won't tell us who it is, which is within his rights to do, however we do have our thoughts on the matter." She gave the man a stern, knowing look, and went on. "I need to know now if this wasn't consensual. If you forced Hana to-"

"I would never do that." Ikkaku's voice had turned cold and menacing in a heartbeat, and Isane thought for a second that if the man had more strength left than she thought, she might be in trouble, but an instant later he sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"Everyone assumes that I raped him, don't they?" His red-tipped eyes were closed; his face now filled with the pain that had been missing before.

"It's just that the two of you make a rather… strange pair." Isane back peddled, putting a comforting hand on the man's knee. He opened his weary eyes, looking past the healer.

"Ya, well, love is a strange thing, lieutenant. It don't care what color you are, what your status is, what you look like or how well ya fight. It don't even care what gender ya are. It just gets in there and ya can't do anything about it, except let it out and let it grow, or ignore it and let it die. But if ya do that, a part of you dies, too." He rubbed his face and looked into her eyes once more. "So what choice do I have, eh?"

Isane was speechless. Was this Ikkaku Madarame in front of her? He seemed so gentle, so compassionate, so deep… This must be the man that Hanataro had seen, she thought, because this man was someone closer to who Isane could see the small man falling for.

"Ikkaku, do you… _love_ Hanataro?" The man's face lit up at the mention of the man's name, the half grin reappearing on his lips for a moment, then his eyes narrowed and his grin grew wider still.

"What did you just say, Isane?" She frowned. Surely he had heard her.

"I asked if you-"

"No, you called me Ikkaku. You've never done that before." He tilted his head back in satisfaction. "Does that mean I'm starting to break through your defenses, _Isane?_" She turned red at the realization.

"You're avoiding my question-" He didn't let her finish, instead getting to his feet and heading to the door.

"I can't believe that Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu is warming up to a thug like me. Hah! Well, I never would have seen that coming in a million years…" His taunts continued as he made his way out the door, and the girl followed close behind, shaking her head in annoyance, wondering what Hanataro was getting himself into.

**Next up, a very serious talk with Hanataro... **

**~Andromeda**


	9. Doubts and Worries

**Sorry for the wait all. I've been super busy. Hope you enjoy it. More to come soon.**

Hanataro was lying propped up against several pillows so his head was elevated. Every time he lay down he felt nauseated, and as he sat with his eyes closed, he groaned slightly, waiting for the feeling to pass. The pregnancy hadn't been too hard yet, but he was feeling sick more and more often and had been told that it would more than likely get worse before the end.

He heard footsteps enter the room and didn't bother opening his eyes; there were always people running in to take a sample of something or check his levels of something else, and being a healer himself, he didn't really need the explanation. As he heard the person pause next to the bed, he all but ignored them, until he felt a course hand lightly brush against his cheek. His eyes shot open.

"Ikkaku? You shouldn't be out of- "

"Ya, your lieutenant already gave me the lecture." The man started, sitting down on a chair beside the bed after turning it to face the healer. "I just really needed to talk to ya." Hana watched as Ikkaku looked around, anywhere to avoid eye contact and more awkward than Hanataro had ever seen him before. As he watched the man fidget in the chair, the healer prompted him to go on.

"I was just… well… Damn it, Hana, why didn't ya tell me you were pregnant?" Hanataro blinked back in surprise. He had wanted to tell the man, but hadn't known how to do it, and coupled with his lack of courage, he had been unable to bring himself to just spit it out. Wanting to tell the other as much he opened his mouth, but what came out wasn't what he wanted.

"I, uh, w-uh, I…"

"Ya should've told me, Hana. I don't get it. I had ta hear it from Yumichika. How is it that Yumi knows before I do?" He hadn't intended to get upset, but found himself getting louder as he went until he was yelling at the healer. "We've been together every day, it's not like ya didn't have the time. What about last night when ya were asleep in my bed huh? Couldn't 'a mentioned something then? Just a heads up at least?"

"And what was I supposed to say, Ikkaku?" The suddenly yelling Hanataro startled the fighter into silence. "Just out of nowhere, 'hey Ikkaku, by the way, I'm pregnant, and everyone thinks it's your baby, but I can't tell them it isn't because then they'll ask whose it is and I don't ever want to tell them about it, so if you don't mind just keep pretending that you actually ARE the father and that everything is fine when it isn't?" His face was red and he was on the verge of tears but the loud voice that the man had used didn't fade.

"And it isn't fine is it Ikkaku? I mean I know you _like_ me but a BABY? Really? What kind of a reaction can I expect from someone like you to something like this? Of course you'll FREAK out and then where will that leave me? Alone with a child that I was not ready for and whose _real_ father is a… a…" tears pooled in blue eyes and the briefly empowered Hanataro visibly collapsed. He squeezed his eyes shut as his head spun for a moment right before grabbing the trash bin to the side of the bed and retching into it painfully. Ikkaku was seething.

"First off, what makes ya think I'm goin' anywhere, eh? Have I said that? NO! I came in here to talk to ya, BAKA, not ta LEAVE Ya! What, ya think I'd just abandon ya because of somethin' that ain't even yer fault? And another thing! What the HELL d'you mean someone like ME, EH? So who I am was fine when ya were in trouble and needed yer ASS SAVED, but I aint good 'nuf fer ya now that yer knocked up? 'S'allright ta be strong when yer in trouble but then when it comes to a family or ta anything long term ya look at me like I'm just some kinda BRUTE, is that it! Just some GOON like all them out there? Like the ones that done this to ya? Is THAT what ya think?" He was on his feet, yelling quite loudly, but Hanataro just stared, blue orbs gleaming. When the man before him didn't react, Ikkaku swore loudly and stormed out, nearly hitting a surprised Isane with the door on the way out.

"Get the FUCK out of my WAY!" Ikkaku snapped as he passed her and stomped back down to his room. The lieutenant frowned and considered briefly reprimanding him for talking to a superior in such a way, but then decided it was best to check on Hanataro first. Apparently their talk had not gone so well.

Though she hadn't intended to listen in, the conversation had been rather loud and though muffled by the walls, she had caught the end of it from the other side of the door. Ikkaku had quite the temper on him, and he had been yelling seemingly without holding back at the healer. Isane had just been about to break up the so called 'discussion' when he had stormed past her.

She entered the room to see a sobbing Hanataro holding his head in one hand and his stomach in the other. When he noticed his friend and superior in the room, he spoke.

"I guess you heard that, huh?" he sniffed loudly and she grimaced.

"Well, not clearly. The walls muffled most of it." She sat down on the bed beside her friend. "You know Hana, this type of thing is to be expected from someone like him. People like that, they just don't-"

"What does that mean, 'people like him'? He's just like anyone else! No, not like anyone else; he's a nice guy, Isane, a really good guy." He got sad again and his voice got quiet. "I should have remembered that." He buried his face in his hands, then spoke through his fairly long, thin fingers.

"What have I done?" He looked miserable and Isane suddenly felt almost as bad as he looked. Hadn't she just finished hearing Ikkaku talk about love and been wondering herself how she had so misjudged the man? He had seemed comfortable enough about the news of the baby at the time, and still she had jumped to the conclusion that the man had come in ready to start a fight.

"Hana…" She wasn't sure where to go with the situation, but laid a hand on her friend's arm to comfort him. "What did he say, Hana? He seemed fine when he was on his way here." The boy rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand angrily.

"He was fine. I was an idiot. I thought he would, I don't know, want to run away, but he was actually planning on staying with me. I was the one who made the assumption. I was the one who accused him of abandoning me, and now he's gone and I don't know if he's ever coming back." He leaned into Isane's shoulder, tears rolling silently onto her uniform. "I messed up."

The lieutenant wrapped a gentle arm around the man as he rested against her, taking in the warmth and comfort she had to offer.

"He'll come back Hana. I know he will." She looked down at the top of the man's dark haired head resting in her arms. "I talked to him, and you know what? I didn't think it was possible, but Hanataro, he loves you." She watched as the man blinked slowly, and then looked up at her questioningly. Not planning on leaving him when he was pregnant with another man's child had been something the healer hadn't expected, but this? There was no way Ikkaku _loved_ him, was there? He sat up and examined his superior's eyes thoroughly.

"Lieutenant, you're serious!" She gave him an incredulous look.

"Of course I am! Why would I lie about something this important, Hana?" She took his hand, hoping he didn't see the shadow of doubt that lay beneath her words. As much as she wanted to believe that the bald man was truly a good man like Hanataro thought, and as much as he had seemed to be when she had spoken to the man earlier, she couldn't help but think of the angry and impulsive man that she had long since known him to be. If there was a chance that her friend could get hurt, she knew she should stop this from going any further, but yet… She had seen as plain as day the love in the fighter's eyes when he spoke of the smaller man, and Hana clearly felt the same. If the two could make it work, who was she to stand in their way?

In either case, right now what the pregnant man needed was rest and hope, and Isane knew he would get neither if he were to dwell on the events that just took place. The best thing she could do for him at the moment was to keep her doubts and worries to herself and hope that she would see through to the truth before it was too late. As she left the room so the man could sleep, her heart was filled with the worry that she knew she had taken from the resting shinigami in the bed behind her.

ooooo

Ikkaku tried not to moan in pain as he bent to dress himself. His uniform was more difficult to wear than the simple hospital yukata he had been wearing for the last four days in the fourth division, and though he hadn't complained at all, he still ached all over constantly, a feeling that was greatly multiplied when he moved. The trip out to see Hana had not been the easiest one to make, and the angry march back had pained him even more, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. He was a fighter, after all. He had left the small little boy who cried himself to sleep at night that he used to be back in the rukongai when he had run away from his so called home, and he had never looked back. He had been fighting for his life and the lives of others ever since, and he would be damned if he was going to stop now.

He was still standing in the middle of the hospital room, topless, trying to figure out the least painful way to put on his shitagi and kosode when Isane walked in. He scowled at her.

"Kami, ya should knock! I coulda been naked, ya know!" She shook her head at what the man was doing and took the uniform out of his hands despite his protest.

"Where do you think you're going, Madarame? You aren't well enough to leave the health center."

"The hell I ain't. I'm goin' back to my own place ta heal there. At least then I'll have some decent food," he grumbled, snatching the uniform back from her and getting dressed with a barely hidden wince. The girl sighed loudly and sat on the bed.

"Well, go then. Just don't tell Hanataro that you'll take care of him when you won't even take care of yourself." That stopped him. He glared at her but sat in the chair next to her, his expression sad. He seemed suddenly without energy, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for the man for once.

"He doesn't want me. I'd just mess things up more. He's better off just gettin' you and the rest of yer squad to help him along and leavin' me out of it; less pain for him that way." He rubbed a hand over his bald head, feeling the fine hairs that had crept in since he had neglected them while in the hospital. Another few weeks and he would have a full head of hair again. "Besides, Lieutenant, I'll be fine on my own. Wouldn't be the first time I had ta take care of myself after almost getting' killed. I won't be goin' back into combat or nothin' and I'll make sure I come in to get checked up if I feel like I need it." He met her eyes honestly. "I ain't a complete idiot."

The silver-haired girl shook her head slowly. "Yes you are." She stood up, putting a hand on a strong shoulder, and meeting the man's gaze with ease. "He needs you more than you know." With that she left, and as the fighter sat, thinking about what she had said, he wondered if it could possibly be true. He wanted it to be true, he knew that much, but really, how could it be? They had only just begun their relationship, and even if they had been spending time together, Hanataro had still refused to admit any kind of commitment. Ikkaku knew it wasn't as if there was anyone else the man would be involved with, but there was definitely something that had held him back when it came to admitting his feelings for the bigger man. Though this hadn't bothered him at first, as he had simply assumed the man needed more time to come to terms with everything, now it bothered him a great deal. The fact that he hadn't heard about the pregnancy from the little healer himself, but had to hear it from Yumichika, made the man's heart sink in his chest. If Hanataro didn't want him to know about the pregnancy, was it because he didn't want him to be involved? He hadn't planned on leaving the man, but what if Hana had planned to leave him? The thought had been something that had not crossed his mind at first but which was steady upon it now. Why else would he not have told him about his 'condition' if not because he didn't want the third seat to be a part of it.

His mind made up and his heart broken, he donned his black kosode and gathered his Zanpakto from the stand on the wall. It was time to go home.

**Oh, my boys! So many problems. I wish they would just talk to one another, but then the story would be far less interesting. **

**Stay tuned! And make sure to check out my blog ^_^!**

**~Andromeda**


	10. Misdirection

**Hello All! First off, I want to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who have submitted a review. They are extremely helpful to me, and I do love them so so so much, so, Domo arigatogozaimashita! ^^ **

**Secondly I have some insights for you... I know that we don't really know much about Hanataro's familly, so I took some liberties, and may do so yet with Ikkaku also... I do mention Hana's brother, who is in the real storyline, but there isn't much info on him so I'm not really going to get into him too much, suffice to say he is not in the picture. Also, I would like you all to keep in mind that none of my characters are ever mean for the sake of being mean... they're mostly just misguided or upset... that having been said, enjoy!**

Hanataro had been home for a full day. After the fight with Ikkaku, the man had left the health center, and without him there, Hana felt little reason to stay. He would still need to go in for checkups and such, but for the time being he would be fine. Having been taken off duty, he found himself with quite a lot of time on his hands, but the nausea he felt kept him from doing too much, so mostly he just wandered around the apartment, trying not to think about Ikkaku. Currently he was having little success. It seemed that everything made him think of the man. When he made tea, he thought of Ikkaku smiling as he made them lunch. When he tidied up, he thought of the messy apartment that Ikkaku was now back living in. When he lay down to rest, he thought of lying in the man's arms... Sighing as he rested his aching back against a cushion, he looked out the window at the warmth of the day and considered going out for a bit. Perhaps he would go for a walk and see who was out and about or-

A sudden knock at the door cut into his thoughts. Hoping it was Ikkaku, but expecting it to be either Isane or another squad four member, he was shocked to be met by a stern looking woman with short black hair mixed with strands of grey and cutting brown eyes. She gave him a nod and walked in, her violet kimono trailing behind her as she passed the man.

"So then! Tell me why you aren't at work, Hanataro." He closed the door behind her, turning to face the woman who had always managed to make him feel inadequate. "I was down by your office and a girl there told me you'd been taken off duty."

"It's nice to see you too, Mother." She was already giving the apartment a disapproving stare and when he sat back down on his sofa, she huffed loudly.

"You're not even going to offer your poor old mother a cup of tea?" Hana stood up with a slight groan and went about making more tea without so much as a sigh as his mother took his seat after fluffing the cushions.

"What brings you here mother?" He tried to keep his tone light, but he really was not in the mood to have her around. "I would have thought you and father would be too busy treating ill nobility to pay me a visit." She gave a disapproving sniff.

"Well yes, we are, but seeing as we hadn't heard form you in nearly two months we thought it best to make sure you hadn't gotten yourself killed... or worse." She gave him a sideways look and he knew this would not be an easy visit. He had never lived up to the expectations of his family. His brother had been the favorite, and with Seinosuke now gone, there was a lot of pressure on Hanataro to fill his shoes. His mother had always been especially harsh, not accepting the fact that without combat abilities, even in the fourth division, he was unlikely to get much higher in rank.

"Well, as you can see, mother, I am not dead." She huffed again at this as she watched him make the tea.

"Perhaps not, but you have been removed from duty," she stressed, refusing to drop the subject,"and they refused to tell me anything about it at the health center." Staring at him expectantly, she watched his slow and careful movements as he brought her drink and sat beside her on the sofa. He paused a moment in contemplation of what to tell her. There would be trouble, no doubt. The question now became whether he was willing to risk putting off the news further. Ultimately the decision was made for him, as it would only get worse the longer he waited.

"Mother, I have something to tell you. It will be a bit of a shock, but please don't take it too hard." She simply blinked back at him.

"I will take it however it is appropriate to take it. What is it Hanataro?" Her voice was stern as always and though he wished for her to be compassionate, he knew she would not be and braced himself.

"Well, mother, do you remember the hollow that bit me all those years ago?" She nodded and he went on with the story, telling her about the reiatsu cage that had been left inside him and going on to tell her about the pregnancy while skirting around mentioning Ikkaku by name, or the rape. He didn't need her getting up in arms about that. This was bad enough.

"Pregnant? Oh Hanataro, how could you let this happen!" She was on her feet, yelling and highly distraught. "Of all the things that could have happened, Hanataro! What were you thinking?"

"It isn't as though I planned this, mother! I didn't even know I could get pregnant until it was too late." He was about go on to say how he could have been killed and nearly had been, but she cut him off, completely inconsolable.

"That isn't the point Hanataro! How many times have your father and I told you that nothing good could come of this insistence of yours; this perversion you have with... men! We told you time and time again to stop this, that they were using you and you would end up in some sort of bad situation!" Hana shook his head in disbelief. She thought this was his fault!

"I doubt very much that you meant I could become pregnant, mother! Really!"

"It doesn't matter what we thought would happen, the fact is something has happened and surely now you must admit that we were right about this." The man shook his head. His mother had never liked the fact that he was attracted to men even though he had openly admitted to being gay his entire adult life. She had continued to insist it was a phase he would grow out of, or that he was simply doing it to make her hair grey. Despite his insistence that this was not the case, there was no convincing her, and as he listened to her continue to lecture him, he thought, why should now be any different?

"...And even if you could, Hanataro, it wouldn ft do to-"

"Enough Mother! Why are you doing this? Why must you be perpetually against me? It isn't as if I wanted this! It isn't enough that I'll be raising this child without being ready for it at all? You need to make things more difficult for me?" The woman balked at that. She stared at her normally meek son as if he had grown an extra head. Who was this yelling at her? Her son had certainly never raised his voice to her before.

"Hanataro! What has gotten into you?" she was shocked, visibly so, but the man wasn't about to take it back. He had sat idly by for far too long as she had vocalized her discontent and he had had enough.

"What's gotten into me, mother, is what I wish I had had this entire time! Some courage! You have no right, mother; no right!"

"And tell me Hanataro, do you just intend to disgrace our family and your own name by having this illegitimate child? What will I tell the nobility we work for? Your father and I will be ruined, and the legacy you would stand to inherit would be destroyed. Is that what you want? To ruin everything for us? Is that the sort of person your child should look up to?" Her cheeks were pink and she was breathing hard. The look in her eyes was pained, and even though Hana wished he could hold strong, he felt his resolve waver. His eyes dropped to the floor and as she stood to leave he felt the shame she always seemed to leave him with.

"I hope you consider that there is more than just yourself to think about in all this Hanataro. Your family, your name, and even the potential future of this child are all at stake here. Remember this." As she left the small apartment, her gaze didn't even attempt to meet that of her son, and as abruptly as she had come, she left, without so much as a goodbye.

Hana sat there for a time, watching his mother's untouched tea grow cold. There had never been a thought to how this might affect his family's business or the child itself. When he had been growing up there had always been that pressure to behave according to the nobility's standards, but he had escaped it somewhat since joining the 13 Court Guard. His family was not noble by far, however they were exemplary healers. They had been healers to the royal family for generations and had trained healers for the noble families for even longer, something that was a greatly coveted honor. The basis of the continued success of this was showings of extraordinary breeding, and as a Yamada he was supposed to uphold such standards. To be cavorting with men in the first place, he supposed, had been a slap to his mother's face, which is why he had never really pushed the point until now. Of course, there had never been a real reason to push the point until now. The fact was, the situation had changed, and there was no good way to resolve it. Now it would just be a matter of trying to save face and after the fight with Ikkaku the other day, he wasn't even sure he had the means to that. Even though he wanted very much to uphold the honor of his family name, he had always struggled with the fact that to do that he would have to deny who he was, and with this baby on the way, things were going to get a lot more complicated.

oooooo

Ikkaku had spent the afternoon doing paperwork. When he had first gotten back from the health center he hadn't bothered with work, sticking instead to what the healers had made him promise to do, but after a day of excruciating boredom he had decided that as long as he stayed away from anything physical he'd be fine. He had been pissed, but not entirely surprised at the stack of unfiled reports waiting on the captain's desk when he had come in, and had been signing his life away ever since.

"Damn, Yumi, would it 'a killed ya to pick up a pen?" He mumbled to himself as he signed another incident report and stacked it among the others he had finished. The pile didn't seem to be going down, and with each form he filled out the boredom which had originally been the drive of his efforts crept closer and closer in. He was beginning to wish for some sort of distraction. He couldn't just go back to his room; everything in that apartment reminded him too much of his former not quite boyfriend. There just seemed to be something missing when he looked around and knew that his Hana wouldn't be back, and he was fairly sure he wouldn't be.

Ikkaku had never had a relationship with anyone quite like the little healer. He seemed so weak and helpless most of the time but so strong and determined other times. He knew there was a power waiting to be unleashed in that petite frame, if only the man would gain some confidence. He had seen it happen before. The problem now was that the situation had changed for them. The pregnancy had thrown a wrench in the gears. He had wanted to be there for the guy, but when he had intended to simply quell the fears the other obviously had, he had instead let his temper get the better of him and more than likely destroyed any hope of a future with the man. Maybe it was better for everyone this way though. It would have only been a matter of time before he had done something to ruin it all and this way at least there were no expectations built up yet.

He sighed and ran a softening hand over his freshly shaven scalp, noting that when he did get back into combat he would be blistering from lack of calluses on his hands. A knock on the door was an unexpected and welcome disturbance then. It was a light rap and didn't sound like anyone from his squad, so when he called out for the person to enter and was greeted coolly by an older woman in a purple kimono he wasn't terribly surprised.

"I assume by your lack of haori that you are not in fact the captain of this division," she said dryly, moving to the center of the room, "though your position behind that desk would suggest otherwise." She paused afterwards, as if she were waiting for a response, though no part of what she had said was a question, nor had it been stated as one. Nonetheless, she stared down the third seat until he spoke in the belittling tone he used on subordinates.

"No, I ain't the captain, but I'm as good as you're about ta get. What's it to ya?" He met her gaze with his best no nonsense glare, and whether she was satisfied with the answer or she simply thought it a waste of time to argue, she did go on with what she had come for.

"Well, in any case, I am not here to question the tactics of a rather backward and brutish division. I am, however, looking for the one who has impregnated my son. I understand he is a member of your squad." The fighter did a double take at that, standing.

"You're Hanataro's mum?" The woman sniffed loudly.

"I am his mother, yes. It's so nice that the entirety of the seretai is aware of the situation." The sarcasm dripped thickly from her words, and Ikkaku frowned. This woman was nothing like her son. How such a nice kid could come from this... person, the man would never know. He made a quick decision without hesitation.

"Well the entire seretai don't know 'bout it, but it just so happens I'm the one you're lookin' for." He snapped back at her. "You keep goin' around announcin' it ta strangers though, and the whole Soul Society's about ta catch on." The look he received at that could have taken a year off Kenpachi's life and he did his best not to let her catch on, though he had a feeling she knew, as she chose that moment to attack, her words flying viciously at him.

"The whole Soul Society is not my concern. What is my concern is that my son has become involved with a menacing brute from a combat division, whose sole accomplishments in life have most likely been how many souls he can defeat in battle, without a care of whether they were Hollow, Human, or Shinigami, and whose goal in this world is ultimately to die in battle. You've probably never had a real long-term relationship in your life, nor have you cared to, and now my son is stuck raising your violent progeny while you go get yourself killed in combat just so you can have honor in the next life according to some misplaced sense of duty." The sideways glare down her nose seemed an impossibility to Ikkaku, who was about a foot and a half taller than this woman, but she did it somehow, and he felt the desire to smack the look off her face rising in his gut.

"What d'you want from me then, if I'm so terrible, eh?" She closed he eyes and shook her head as if it were the most stupid question she had ever heard.

"I came to tell you what's really going on here." She was suddenly calm and took the seat opposite the one Ikkaku had previously occupied. He frowned in confusion, but took the seat behind the desk once more.

"What the hell's that supposed ta mean?" She turned red in the face in an instant.

"It means," she spat, "that my son has been abused by you for long enough!" Her features returned to calm with visible effort and she went on. "He is a meek little child, and never was one to stand up for himself even against severe abuse. As a child, the other children would call him names and pull his hair and he continued to refer to them as friends, even when they hit him hard enough to make him bleed." She sighed and looked up at Ikkaku, her eyes now full and round like Hanataro's always seemed to be and suddenly the resemblance was uncanny. Those eyes were not the same blue color as the deep oceans of Hana's, but the effect they had on the woman's face, the softening of her features and empathy that now showed through, was so much like that of her son it was eerie.

"Don't you see?" she pleaded, "You're doing nothing but hurting him, and you don't even realize it. He hasn't said so, and I'm certain he never would, but that doesn't change the truth. He doesn't love you; doesn't care for you. Oh he might like you well enough; might even tell you that he wants this, but let me assure you, he doesn't. He is acting like this for some other purpose. Maybe it's because he didn't want to upset you and simply let it go too far. Perhaps he believes he owes you something, or that he now needs to remain with you for the sake of this child." Her eyes went cold and the switch was like shutting off a tap - instant. "Believe me - he doesn't. His family will support him just fine without you in it."

She bore into Ikkaku's red-tipped onyx eyes with the intensity of a laser beam once more, and as he processed the information, things she had said began to ring true. Hanataro had never truly committed to their partnership. He had never been the one to start anything; that had always been the fighter. Though the two hadn't gotten very far, he was sure that if they had, it would have been to his own insistence and not the healer's. The fact was, he had been taking things slow so as not to scare off the other man, expecting him to be hesitant after the rape, and the smaller man had never indicated that he ever wanted anything more than what they already had. Ikkaku had assumed at the time that eventually there would be more to it and that he simply needed to be patient, but now he wasn't so sure. This woman was the guy's mother after all. Who would know the healer better?

"So," he said, after a long minute, "I'll ask again. What do ya want from me?" He leaned back in his chair, feeling defeated and slightly confused. She tilted her head and judging by the expression on her face you might have thought she asked for a cup of tea, but when she spoke Ikkaku's blood ran cold.

"He doesn't wish to have you remain in his life. I have come to ask you not to see him again." She met his gaze uninterestedly, and he stared back hard. After a moment he spoke.

"I ain't about ta abandon him, but you tell him, if that's what he wants, I'll stay outa his way."

As she rose and silently left the 11th division barracks, a sad smile crossed her lips as she nearly heard the man's heart breaking behind her. It was too bad; it had to be done.

**Gah! Meddlesome Mother! WHY? Oh well, don't worry, the next chapter is reeeeeaaallly nice. ^^ **

**~Andromeda**

**P.S. only maybe 2 or three chapters left. I might do an epilogue too, but I'm not planning on getting into the baby's life too much... let me know what you think. **


	11. Confrontation

**Hey Interwebbers! **

**So I was going to write another scene before this, too, but I decided not to, because it didn't really add much and you can figure out what happened without it. But...**

**** Drum-roll please!****

**Ta-DA! The chapter you've all been waiting for! The awesomeness is astounding! Ooohs and ahhs galore! Hooray! And now without further ado... **

**Enjoy! ^^**

"Did you tell my mother you would leave me!" Ikkaku took an involuntary step back, his eyes wide in surprise at the outburst. Hanataro had simply shown up at his door, pounding on it with a ferocity that was hence unseen in the smaller man.

"Wha- Hana, I, I didn't say-" It was unusual for the fighter to stammer in such a way, but he had been taken by surprise and was unable to form the words.

"Did you tell her you would leave me, Ikkaku? Because she seems to think you did!" He pushed his way into the apartment, seeming somehow taller to the fighter, even though he still came to no more than his shoulder. "Now she's going on about marrying me off to some noble woman whom I've never even met, and there's nothing I can say to even try to change her mind! So tell me if you told her that, Ikkaku. Tell me right now so that I know where we stand. You gave me such a problem before because I made an assumption; well I'm not assuming anymore! Tell me what you said so I know where we go from here and if I should even bother trying to fight my mother's wishes!" He was panting from the effort of yelling at the man. Even as Ikkaku stared, though, he didn't back down. There was fire in his normally cool blue eyes, and a passion that he had rarely experienced. Few things in life got down to the core of Hanataro's soul, but Ikkaku was certainly one of them.

After a moment of uncertainty, the third seat regained his footing and found his voice. "I told her the truth Hanataro." As the look on the other's face turned cold, he quickly continued. "I told her that I would leave ya alone IF that was what you wanted, but that I'd be there fer as long as ya wanted me around." He had nearly yelled the last part, and as he watched, Hanataro's face didn't change from the angry frown.

"Well of course that's not what I want! You know how I feel, Ikkaku!" The fighter laughed harshly at that.

"Oh I do, eh? Hana, ya haven't told me how ya really feel once the whole time we've been together, if that's what you can even call what's between us!" He felt his face getting hot, and knew he was yelling at the man now, but couldn't seem to help himself. His temper was getting the better of him and he knew it, but surprisingly the other didn't cower; far from it, he yelled back.

"Do you really want to know how I feel? What I think? I think you are the most vicious, ill-tempered, rude man I have ever known! You may be the most devolved Shinigami in exsistance! You yell at me when I need you, you leave me when I want you with me and you push me away when I try to move closer! And… Damn it! I don't even care about any of that, Ikkaku!" The fighter could do nothing but stare. His eyes were wide and his jaw was slack. Hanataro had…. Swore! Not to mention all the terrible things he thought about him. His tone softened.

"Hana… I…" The other closed his eyes, his features still knit in a frown as he held up a hand to silence the bald man.

"I don't care about any of it," He looked the other in the eyes, and again they were rounder than the sun and bluer and deeper than the sea. "Because you're also the kindest, most unselfish, most caring person I have come across. You don't look down on me, or belittle me even though I'm weak, and you genuinely care about me. You're just… passionate." He smiled slightly as the bald man looked on in stunned silence. Had he just heard what he thought he had heard?

"Hanataro? Are you… saying…?"

"I'm saying I want to be with you, Ikkaku; more than anything." He took a step toward the other, their eyes connected into their very souls it seemed. Slightly confused as to how they had gotten here, but recognizing a good situation when he had it, Ikkaku felt the scowl fade from his face as he let the words sink in. The healer wanted him. He thought he was rude and vicious, but he wanted him anyway.

"Ikkaku?"

The fighter realized he hadn't said anything, and he was staring at the other man dreamily. "Huh?"

"Are you going to tell me where we stand now? I think you owe me that much." Ikkaku blinked. There were no words; he adored the healer. Instead he simply took another step forward, placing his hands gently on the man's waist and pulling him closer. He leaned down and reached up one hand to the other's cheek, brushing his fingers lightly across it as he held his gaze steady with the sapphire orbs before him. As he closed the gap between their faces his eyes drifted shut and when he felt soft, sweet lips on his, ecstasy flooded his body.

Their first kiss was just how Hanataro had imagined, except worlds better. The electricity that ran through him at the soft touch of lips was heaven. As he pressed deeper, he lost all feeling in his knees and heat surged through him. The hand at the line of his jaw stroked his face, then ran across his neck, bringing with it goosebumps as it went and a shiver ran down his spine to the other hand at the small of his back.

When they finally pulled apart, a small sigh escaped the medic, and his eyes remained closed. The world could wait. He was detached from his body; numb all over, and he never wanted to come down off this cloud.

"Hana?" a gentle and slightly worried Ikkaku stared at the man still standing in his arms, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. "Y'all righ'?" The man smiled and nodded.

"Mmm?" he opened his eyes and looked up at Ikkaku. The love and desire in those blue oceans of his had an overpowering effect on the man, and he found himself leaning in to renew the kiss.

It was every bit as powerful and as wondrous as the first. The two men found themselves lost in the pleasure of the connection, both just as dreamy and distant from reality as the other. As they opened up more and more to each other and to the revelation of being with each other in such a way, they moved seemingly together, of one mind to a common goal.

Hanataro wasn't sure when they had gotten to the third seat's bed, but when they finally pulled away for the second time the man was propped up over him, his chest visible through the opening at the front of his uniform. Hana took it all in, the sight of the man he had so desired staring lovingly down at him, the pleasant look of pure enjoyment written across his face. His muscular form, solid arms and wide shoulders were a dream that Hanataro had long since dreamed and as he ran his fingers across them, assuring himself that this time it was real, this time it was happening, he still was unable to believe it.

"Ikkaku…?" his voice was a whisper, and the man leaned in, brushing his thin lips against the ones that had spoken his name before answering.

"Yes, my Hana?" The reply sent chills up the man's spine and he grinned in joy at the feeling.

"This is real, isn't it?" he asked softly, "It's not just a beautiful dream?" The fighter's crooked half grin lit up his face.

"Naw," he replied, "The only dream here is you." His eyes sparkled in the dimly lit room. "Hana, we should have done this a long time ago." The man could only nod in answer, as he pulled himself up to meet the other in another sweet embrace. As they held the kiss, deepening it, and tasting each other with fervor, the healer felt a course hand slide inside his uniform. All his body sang with the contact and he rose up to meet the touch, wanting more. As the large hand fondled his thin form, he reached up as well, finding the feel of skin under his fingers and nearly shaking with desire. More than he had ever wanted anyone or anything he wanted this man, and in this moment, the pure power of his touch was nearly more than the medic could take.

"Ikkaku…" A pause to catch their breath had prompted another attempt to speak, but the only thing that existed in Hanataro's mind was the other man. As he untied the man's uniform and slipped it off his shoulders, baring him to his chest, the healer felt heat bubbling inside him, stronger than ever before, and he thought the mere sight of this man might do to bring him over the edge. He could feel the pressure building below his waist. The feel of his already stiffened member pulsating with need ran wave after wave of want and yearning through to his very soul, and as the two wandered ever lower, exploring each other as they went, the impact on his body was almost torturous.

The last piece of clothing was removed from Hanataro's hips, and Ikkaku grinned as he descended to lap at the sweet nape of his lover's neck as his hand grasped the leaking member of the smaller man. Clear liquid spread across the head and as he slowly stroked, he felt the boy shudder under him. He knew he was close. He moved up to suck at the other's ear and heard a gasp as he felt him buck up into the slow caress of his fist. Pushing him back down he whispered into his ear.

"Oh no. We ain't done yet." Another shiver ran through the smaller man as he let out a moan that made Ikkaku melt. There couldn't have been a better reaction in the fighter's mind. He ran his tongue across the man's throat, then down to his collarbone, where he nipped at the creamy white skin. As he crossed, then descended to the man's chest, finding a stiff nipple and sucking it softly, the reaction he received was delicious. Hanataro had completely lost all restraint and was moaning and panting beautifully. It was enough to make Ikkaku's hard length leak with anticipation, and it was all he could do to stop himself from jumping the man right then. With all the restraint he could muster, he instead lowered himself once more, and leveled himself with the other's swollen organ. Gently he licked the tip, then all the way up the shaft from the base.

"Ik-kaku!" Hanataro's gasp was repeated more harshly as his leaking cock was swallowed entirely by the bald shinigami. Thin fingers grasped his scalp as he bobbed up and down between the man's legs, finding a rhythm as the man's hips began to buck once more. This time he let them, going with the sway, tasting the salty leak of precum as he swallowed his flower, over and over.

It wasn't long before the healer was overcome, his hips bucking up one final time as he stiffened and released into the other's mouth. As hot fluid ran from the one man to the other, Ikkaku swallowed hungrily, wanting the smaller man inside him, his own member pulsing with pleasure and need. As he rose from the bed, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, the muscular man was suddenly pulled down into a fierce kiss, effectively melting him. He felt the strong stroke of the other's tongue along his, and a twitch down below before pulling reluctantly away.

"Hana," He breathed, but was shushed by the other, who pulled up one of the man's large hands to his mouth, and sucked on his fingers, his eyes never leaving the fighter's black spheres. Ikkaku shivered.

"Yer sure?" He knew there was a chance the other wasn't ready for this and just wanted to repay him for what he had just done. "Cause we don't have ta-"

"Shh Ikkaku. I want to." He smiled up at the other. "More than anything." The look in those eyes was almost more than the man could take. He nodded and reached down to prepare the other, bringing his mouth to capture the other's lips once more. He slowly entered the man's tight ring and though he squirmed a bit at first, he quickly recovered, and as the fighter added another finger, the medic simply kissed him harder, deeper and more passionately than previously. Scissoring the man open was fairly easy, and when Ikkaku thought the man was ready, he positioned himself and met his lover's eyes. Keeping contact, he watched as the look on Hanataro's face changed from one of discomfort to one of desire, and as the boy began to move, so did he, thrusting in slowly at first, then gaining speed and depth as they found their pace.

The feeling of being inside the healer was extraordinary. Ikkaku was wrapped in the tight heat of the man, and felt as though he was in pure heaven. The way the other moved with him was splendor, and when he repositioned himself and found the man's sweet spot, Hanataro cried out, tightening around him, and nearly bringing him right then. The sounds this man made were exquisite; unlike anything Ikkaku had ever heard, and made his skin shiver. The fighter took in the sight of this willowy creature lying before him, hips raised, legs up in the air, his face locked with a look of hunger and bliss. His face was damp with beads of sweat and his hair was matted to his forehead. The result was the sexiest thing Ikkaku had ever seen, and he watched the other man, as he emitted sounds that would have been enough to stiffen him in seconds all on their own, and with one final thrust, he lost all control.

He came hard, his body going rigid from the effort, and as Hanataro felt the warmth flooding him, he came a second time, spilling onto his stomach without much coercion at all. As Ikkaku collapsed on the bed, the two of them lay there, breathing hard as the heat of their pleasure swam around them.

"Ikkaku… That was… wow." The fighter nodded in agreement, not able to find words to speak. His mind was shutting down, and he could feel himself drifting into sleep. He didn't hear what he said in response as he left consciousness, but as he drifted off, there was a smile on his face as well as his heart.

Hanataro lay there for a moment, listening to the sound of Ikkaku snoring lightly, slightly in shock. The fighter had mumbled something as he fell asleep, and though it had been barely audible, Hana had heard it as if it were a blast of thunder. He had rolled toward the healer, put a kiss on his cheek and said,

"I love ya, my Hana."

He had been about to drift off to sleep himself until then. Now he was wide awake. He looked over at the sleeping shinigami, his red-tipped eyes closed and a smile on his lips. Love? Staring back up at the ceiling, he thought, can this be love? He had been sure of his feelings before. He truly and deeply cared for the man. He wanted to be with him and spend the rest of his life with him… But love was different, wasn't it?

He slipped out of bed, doing his best not to disturb the other man and wincing as he mumbled in his sleep, reaching out for him.

"It's ok, Ikkaku, I'm just going to clean up. I'll be right back." That seemed to satisfy the still sleeping man, who rolled over and was snoring again in an instant. Hanataro did go to clean up, wiping the sticky mess from his abdomen in the washroom, and splashing water on his face.

As he stared into his own reflection, he wondered what had bothered him so much about what a sleeping Ikkaku had said. He had wanted to keep seeing the man, after all, and had even spent an hour or more yelling at his mother, trying to get her to accept the relationship, even when he had no real way of knowing if the other still wanted him. He had been adamant that they had a future together, even though he had had no proof, and only a vague hope that he would be able to make up with the fighter.

Still, the thought that this was love had never entered his mind. Hanataro had never believed in such things as love at first sight or love at first kiss, and after all, wasn't that just what this was? Their first kiss? Sure it had been immediately followed by a flourish of steamy sex, but even so. It hadn't been so long ago that had he sensed the bigger man coming he would have run in the opposite direction. He knew the man better now and certainly realized that his initial impression had been off the mark, but love was something else entirely. Love was something that came after other things had had enough time to develop and grow; things like caring, respect, friendship, trust… Those things were the foundation on which love was established. How could this man who barely knew him be so quick to say something so impactful, so important?

He shook his head, trying to clear it. He didn't need to be worrying about these things right now. After all, he was in no position to complain. He was pregnant and the one man he truly wanted by his side, was. There were much worse things.

When he returned to Ikkaku's room, he stood for a moment watching the man sleep. Perhaps, he thought, the thing that bothered him the most wasn't that the fighter loved him, but that he didn't feel as though he loved the man back. He wanted to, but this wasn't something you could force; it had to come on its own.

Sighing, he slipped into bed beside the man, and as he was immediately pulled into the fighter's arms he hoped that the man would be patient with him. The healer knew there was time for them to fall in love, as long as he didn't ruin it first.

**Oh Hanataro! You amaze me with your insecurity! He loves you, you idiot! AHRGH! Whatever... -_-!**

**More to come... we still have a riled mother to sort out!**


	12. Twice Shy

Ikkaku hummed a tuneless melody as he sauntered down the path back from the bathhouse. The aches and pains that continued to plague the man had been unbearable this morning, his body crying out for relief, and the hot water had done him a world of good. Though he would have to stop by the fourth to have the few bandages he still wore re-wrapped, it would give him a chance to check on Hana. The little healer had been gone by the time Ikkaku woke up, but he wasn't worried. Hanataro was usually up with the sun and the fighter was certain he could be found at the hospital. A grin plastered itself firmly on the man's lips as he walked, thinking about the night before. They were finally in a good place. Ikkaku couldn't have asked for more.  
>"Well," a sultry voice cooed from behind the third seat, "Aren't we in fair spirits this morning." Yumichika flounced up to his friend, taking his arm as they went. "I havent seen a grin like that since the lieutenant discovered candy." Ikkaku laughed, then winced and held his side.<br>"Ya know Yumi, I'd feel like a million bucks if I din't feel like shit." He flashed his friend another grin. "I'm still on the mend, but yer right, life is good." Yumichika narrowed his eyes at the man, causing his feathers to twitch.  
>"Did you... you did!" He nudged his friend, eyes growing wide as the other's cheeks tipped towards red. "I knew the two of you would work things out." He leaned in closer, eyebrows peaked. "So, how was it?" Ikkaku gave the beauty a shove, the smile never leaving his face.<br>"Ah," he sighed happily, "So good, Yumi, by Kami was it good." Yumichika nodded. "Better than the first time?" Ikkaku's smile wavered. His eyes narrowed and he stammered.  
>"Oh, well, I wouldn't say..."<br>"I knew it." The beauty interrupted, turning on his companion. "Hanataro told me that day that he'd been attacked. I knew nothing had happened between you yet, it was too soon! This child isn't even yours."  
>"The hell it ain't!" The bald man's face was set, serious once more. "Those son's o' bitches aint got no claim on this kid, Yumi, none! Maybe I aint been the one that started all this, but there aint no one's got more of a claim to bein the father o this kid then I do 'cept maybe Hana, but he can't be cause he's the mom." He jabbed his friend in the chest to accentuate the point, causing the man to take a step back as he mumbled, "Which I'm still tryin'a wrap my head around... Whole thing's so damn confused..." Yumichika frowned at his friend.<br>"So you're just going to accept this then? Take responsability for a child who isn't really yours?" Ikkaku shrugged.  
>"What else can I do, Yumi? It's Hana's kid, even if it's not mine. He don't want anyone knowin' what really happened, so someone's gotta step up." He sighed again, deeply. "Besides, I love him, an' that's enough. Tha's got to be enough." Yumichika's face was lined with worry. They both could feel it coming, the talk they'd had before.<br>"What about the family thing?" Ikkaku turned away.  
>"What about it."<br>"It's been... an issue before." Yumichika chose his words carefully, but it still cut into his friend. "You've left others over this. For even mentioning they might want one some day."  
>"Ya think I don' realize that, Baka."<br>"Ikkaku..." The bald man's scowl was back full force as his glare interrupted the fifth seat. He'd said it before and there was no point saying it again. He was not father material. His father had not been father material, and Kami, Ikkaku knew he was the image of the man. Mean, selfish, drunk... He shook his head as though to clear the dark thoughts.  
>"Look," His voice had dropped, quiet as a whisper like it always was when the two spoke of unspoken things, "I aint sayin' I'll be any good at it. I aint sayin' Hana wont tell me ta take a hike once he realizes what he's in for. I aint expectin I wont have turned out just like that twisted fuck-up of a sumbitch I had ta deal with growin up." He squared his gaze with his companion, this man who knew him better than anyone, this friend who could always see right through him.<br>"All I know is, this time I gotta try." Yumichika nodded, a simple drop of the head. His features cleared and he draped one hand on his friend's broad shoulder.  
>"For what it's worth, Ikkaku," The beauty cooed, "I think you'll make a fantastic father."<br>"Well," He quipped, his frown fading but still present as he headed off to the health centre, "at least I had a great example o' what not ta do."

Hanataro sat in the hallway of the health centre, waiting for Isane to be through with her morning rounds. He had been finnished with his checkup for an hour or more already, but was reluctant to leave. The churning in his stomach was partly due to morning sickness, but underneath lay the seed that had plagued him all night. Back at his appartment, only an empty room waited for him and returning to it was a grimm prospect. The alternative, however, was returning to a no doubt still sleeping Madarame, a much more nerve wracking idea. And so he sat waiting for the silver haired girl as she flitted in and out of patient's rooms, tending to her daily chores.  
>"I'm almost done Hana," She reasured her waiting friend as she rushed past for the dozenth time, "I'll have a few minutes for you after this next one." Hana started to reply but again she was gone, leaving him to shuffle his feet and pick at his fingernails. Normally he didn't mind the wait. Just as he never minded the mind-numbing work of the maintenence squad, he'd always found a simple pleasure in the art of patience. But not today. Hanataro's mind raced, his thoughts circling endlessly around, a sea of worry and discontent over one little word. One simple word, and the happiness he'd felt had faded into uncertainty, overthinking, he knew, what was most likely an off-handed comment by a sleep-riddled mind. Only, what if it wasn't?<br>The healer shut his eyes tight, fighting the waves of nausea that washed over him. He was getting himself worked up, and for what? He needed to calm down. He needed to think things through. He needed to talk to Isane.  
>A moment later when the fourth squad Lieutennant plunked down beside the small healer with a smile, it was all Hana could do not to bombard her with his thoughts and fears. So when she ased him how he was it all came spilling out.<br>"Do you really think he loves me?" The girl looked surprised for a moment, but a smile brushed her features as the man spoke a mile a minute while she waited. "...And you said he loves me and I don't think I really believed it, but now I don't know what to believe and if he loves me then I don't know what to do with that, and..." Hana trailed off, his eyes damp. He jabbed at them harshly with the palms of his hands. "Did you mean it Isane?" The girl gently took the healer's hands away from his eyes, wiping the tears away in a softer fashion.  
>"Hana," She reasured him, "When I spoke to him, I was certain he loved you. I'm sure now that it hasn't changed. You just have to give him some time to come to terms with everything and I'm sure the two of you will be right as rain again." Hana blushed, turning away.<br>"Oh, no, Lieutennant, we sort of made up already." He could see the confusion on her face and continued. "We talked yesterday and it's fine, it's just..." Hanataro could feel his heart beating in his ears, louder than he thought healthy. "He told me he loves me." The biggest grin crossed Isane's face.  
>"Well that's wonderful, isn't it?" Hana winced.<br>"I suppose. If he's telling the truth." Hanataro shook his head. "I just don't know if I can believe it. It's so soon, Isane! We haven't even really been close all that long." He rubbed his baby bump, "Unexpected pregnancies aside, I really don't know what he sees in me. I mean, the man is this huge, strong, brave fighter who could have anyone, but he chooses me? It's just strange."  
>"It isn't that strange," but Hanataro wasn't really listening.<br>"Besides, I've been here before. Same old song, right? They say they love you, that they can't live without you, then they turn around and rip your heart out, all of it lies. Last time it ended with that Hollow..." A hand went absentmindedly to his shoulder. "I hope it isn't lies this time, Isane. Do you think..?" He didn't know how to continue the question, but felt he didn't need to. His big blue eyes latched on to hers, begging.  
>"Oh Hana." She smiled reasuringly. "The other day when I asked him about you," she searched for the words, remembering. "I've never seen that man look more at peace than at that moment." Hana's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to believe.<br>As his eyes teared up once again, a familliar voice pulled his attention from his lieutennant. "Oi! Hana!" The big man was grinning ear to ear as he sauntered up to the couple sitting in the hall.  
>"Thought I'd find ya here." He clapped a big hand softly on the healer's shoulder. "Did'ja have a checkup, or..?" His face changed to mild concern as he took in the tears that the other was rubbing away. "Y'all righ'?" Hana nodded feverently, rubbing his eyes even harder as he stammered for a reply.<br>"Hormones." His lieutennant cut in, "He'll be ok. Just a checkup today." Hana snuck the girl a thankful smile. "Did you come all the way here just to make sure he was alright, Madarame?" The fighter grinned sheepishly.  
>"Naw, that was part of it, but I gotta get some bandages redone." He put a hand to a tender rib where his skin was still raw and regrowing. "I took 'em all off ta soak a bit. Ached like a bitch this mornin'." At that Hana frowned, worried.<br>"Are you ok? Did you pull something? Ikkaku, let me see." He was already tugging at the man's belt, fighting the other who was trying to stay dressed.  
>"I'm alrigh', Hana, I'm alrigh' Baka!" He grabbed the smaller man's wrists to stop him, meeting his eyes to quell the worry. "I'm fine. Just sore s'all." Isane giggled at the sight of Ikkaku nearly being overwhelmed by the much smaller man. She waved them into an empty room.<br>"Let me get you fixed up then." As soon as the girl had left to get bandages, Hana was all over himself.  
>"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He burried his head in his hands, eyes peaking through splayed fingers. "Ikkaku, I'm so sorry!" Ikkaku was shaking his head.<br>"Fer what, Baka?" He bent to level himself with the other man, his features soft. "Y'ain't done nothin."  
>"I, we shouldn't have, I didn't think about you being hurt." Ikkaku grinned.<br>"I coulda said somethin' if I wern't up to it. It's just as much my own fault. Besides," Ikkaku met the man's gaze, taking his hands away from his eyes, "It was worth it."  
>When Lieutennant Kotetsu opened the door again, She was greeted by the sight of the two pulling apart a bit too quickly, Ikkaku looking pleased and Hanataro turning an increasingly darker shade of red.<p> 


End file.
